THE  RUSSIAN 
GRANDMOTHER'S 


."     ,    ••      V 


: 


-OUISE  SEYMOUR 
HOUGHTON 


THE 

RUSSIAN   GRANDMOTHER'S 
WONDER  TALES 


The  old  woman  stole  out  to  the  tree,  crept  under  the  bed,  and 
there  hid  herself 


The 

Russian  Grandmother's 
Wonder  Tales 


BY 

LOUISE  SEYMOUR  HOUGHTON 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 

W.    T.    BENDA 


CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 
NEW    YORK  =  =  =  =  =  =     1913 


COPTBIGHT,   1906,   BT 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 
Published,  September,  1906 


TO 
THE  FIVE  GRANDCHILDREN 

PHILLIPS,   SHERRILL,   MARGARET, 
RUSSELL,  AND   CAROLINE 


273357 


PREFACE 

THE  stories  which  the  Russian  grand- 
mother told  will  be  found,  with  many 
others,  in  a  German  collection  of  "  Tales  and 
Legends  of  South  Slavonia,"  put  forth  in 
Vienna  some  twenty  years  ago  by  Dr.  Fried- 
rich  Kraus,  an  ardent  student  of  folk-lore. 
I  have  sketched  in  a  slight  background  of 
peasant  village  life  as  it  still  exists  in  some 
parts  of  Southern  Russia,  because  this  is  the 
proper  setting  of  these  stories;  and  I  have 
been  careful  to  clothe  them  as  nearly  as  I 
might  in  the  simple  language  in  which  they 
are  told  to-day  by  many  a  village  fireside 
in  South  Slavonia. 

I  frankly  confess  to  having  received  from 
Mr.  Joel  Chandler  Harris  the  suggestion 
which  I  have  thus  carried  out.     It  was  an 
vii 


PREFACE 

unerring  literary  instinct  which  impelled 
him  to  put  upon  the  lips  of  Uncle  Remus 
and  in  the  environment  of  a  Southern  coun- 
try home  of  half  a  century  ago  the  stories 
which  he  had  found  among  the  colored  peo- 
ple of  the  South.  Folk-tales,  of  whatever 
character,  speak  the  more  directly  home  to 
the  hearts  of  children,  whatever  their  own  in- 
tellectual environment,  in  proportion  as  their 
setting  is  most  nearly  that  which  naturally 
belongs  to  them.  Just  as  the  highest  value 
of  the  Homeric  poems  is  their  revelation  of 
the  heart  of  man,  showing  that  in  all  ages 
and  under  all  conditions  heart  answers  to 
heart  as  face  answers  to  face  in  water,  so 
the  folk-tales  of  all  peoples  in  their  native 
form  have  a  higher  function  than  simply  to 
amuse,  a  higher  than  mere  literary  value; 
they  are  the  child's  best  introduction  to  the 
study  of  human  nature. 

The  children  will  not  be  the  less  inter- 
ested in  the  stories  which  the  Russian  grand- 
viii 


PREFACE 

mother  told  to  the  little  peasant  boy  if  they 
discover  in  her  wonder-tales  some  analogies 
with  stories  that  they  already  know.  The 
adventures  of  Master  Reinecke  and  Mrs. 
Petz,  of  Isegrim  and  Lampe,  will  surely  re- 
mind them  of  the  Uncle  Remus  tales;  they 
will  find  some  suggestion  of  Kamer-es- 
zaman  and  the  Princess  Budoor  in  the  story 
of  "  The  Beg  and  the  Fox,"  a  hint  of  the 
"City  of  Brass,"  in  that  of  "The  Vila 
in  Muhlenberg,"  a  faint  reflection  of  the 
"  Arabian  Nights  "  story  of  the  Fisherman 
in  the  tale  of  the  "  Three  Eels,"  and  they 
will  be  especially  pleased  to  recognize  their 
old  friend — and  Sindbad  the  Sailor's — the 
roc,  in  the  bird  Kumrikusha.  The  transfor- 
mations which  are  so  enchanting  a  feature 
of  the  "  Arabian  Nights "  are  here  sug- 
gested in  the  story  of  "  Steelpacha,"  while 
the  dress  of  feathers,  most  universal  of  folk- 
fancies,  found  among  every  people  in  the 
world,  and  most  perfectly  developed  in  the 

ix 


PREFACE 

Arabian  "  Story  of  Hassan  of  Bassora," 
here  appears  in  the  tale  of  u  The  Golden 
Apple-tree  and  the  Nine  Pea-hens." 

That  these  stories  originated  in  that 
fountain-head  of  wonder-tales,  the  East,  is 
very  evident.  They  give  more  than  a  few 
suggestions  of  biblical  story :  the  servant  sent 
to  announce  the  readiness  of  the  feast  (a 
courtesy  of  which  I  was  myself  the  recipient 
in  Syria  last  winter),  the  Delilah-like  im- 
portunities by  which  the  youngest  sister  lures 
from  Steelpacha  the  secret  of  his  strength, 
are  perhaps  the  most  striking  instances. 

Although  this  preface  is  not  written  for 
the  children,  yet  as  there  are  children  who 
occasionally  dip  into  prefaces,  let  me  call  the 
attention  of  such  to  the  difference,  both  in 
style  and  point  of  view,  between  these  stories 
and  those  which  they  have  received  from  the 
brothers  Grimm,  from  Hans  Andersen,  and 
from  a  host  of  later  writers.  All  of  these 
drew  their  material  from  the  same  sources 


PREFACE 

as  those  of  the  Russian  grandmother;  but 
their  cultivated  minds  have  worked  this  ma- 
terial into  exquisite  literary  forms.  Not  so 
your  own  nurses,  or  even  your  mothers,  who 
told  you  wonder-tales  before  you  were  old 
enough  to  read.  Not  so  the  village  story- 
tellers in  far-away  parts  of  the  world,  who, 
like  the  Russian  grandmother,  still  hand 
down  to  the  children  the  stories  they  received 
from  parents  and  grandparents.  These 
sometimes  lose  the  connection;  they  add  lit- 
tle local  touches — sweet  wine  from  Zagorje, 
going  home  to  Varazdin,  and  the  like — they 
give  to  certain  incidents  the  setting  with 
which  they  are  themselves  familiar ;  most  art- 
lessly they  interweave  such  results  of  mod- 
ern invention  and  discovery  as  are  familiar 
to  them,  with  such  blank  ignorance  of  physi- 
cal facts  as  is  shown  by  bringing  in  the  sun, 
the  moon,  the  winds,  as  persons.  Many  of 
you  know  how  beautifully  George  Macdon- 
ald  did  this  sort  of  thing  in  his  story  "  At 

xi 


PREFACE 

the  Back  of  the  North  Wind,"  and  you  per- 
fectly well  perceive  the  difference  between 
that  story  and  such  a  tale  as,  for  instance, 
"  So  Born,  So  Die,"  in  this  book.  When 
you  are  older  you  will  recognize  that  it  is 
precisely  the  difference  between  literature 
and  folk-lore. 

That  many  of  these  wonder-tales  passed 
through  Mohammedan  minds  on  their  way 
to  the  Russian  grandmother,  or  her  great- 
grandmother,  is  evident.  '  The  Beg  and  the 
Fox"  is  a  striking  case  in  point;  it  almost 
seems  as  if  the  story  ought,  like  the  stories 
of  the  "  Arabian  Nights,"  to  close  with  the 
exclamation,  "  There  is  no  God  but  God,  the 
High,  the  Great!" 

The  humor  of  these  stories,  however,  is 
unmistakably  Slavonic.  There  is  a  fine 
pungency — not  Oriental,  though  Oriental 
humor  is  very  pungent — in  certain  of  the 
endings,  "  I  have  heard  a  lie,  I  have  told  a 
lie,  and  God  give  you  joy! "  or  after  a  pe- 
xii 


PREFACE 

culiarly  impossible  story,  "  Whoever  believes 
it  will  be  blessed!  "  The  underlying  pathos 
of  the  story  of  the  Basil-plant  suggests 
the  exquisite  sentiment  of  Hans  Andersen's 
"  Steadfast  Tin  Soldier  " ;  but  its  excessive 
simplicity,  its  dropped  threads  of  thought, 
forbid  the  idea  that  it  has  been  worked  over 
by  any  more  sophisticated  mind  than  that  of 
the  Russian  grandmother. 

In  this  simple-hearted  story-teller  I  have 
tried  to  reproduce  some  lineaments  of  the 
peasant  mother  to  whom,  he  tells  us,  Dr. 
Kraus  owes  his  first  impulse  to  folk-lore  re- 
search. She  was  one  of  nine  children  of  a 
poor  pedler,  brought  up  in  a  village  of  char- 
coal burners,  deep  in  a  Slavonian  forest. 
She  was  illiterate,  like  our  Russian  grand- 
mother, but  like  her  intelligent  and  learned 
in  the  wonder-lore  of  her  people.  Her  son 
pays  her  a  lovely  tribute  in  the  preface  to 
the  first  volume  of  his  collection: 


xin 


PREFACE 

She  grew  up  like  a  flower  in  the  hedge-row,  among 
the  simple  peasant  folk  whose  manners  and  spirit 
she  made  entirely  her  own.  The  villagers,  who  had 
a  little  education,  therefore  called  her,  contempt- 
uously, baba  vraccma  (the  little  old  sorceress),  but 
the  illiterate  peasants  lovingly  named  her  nasa  baba 
Eva  (our  little  mother  Eve).  But  for  once  the 
villagers  were  right,  my  mother  is  a  sorceress;  else, 
how  comes  it  that  I  so  constantly  fall  under  the 
spell  of  her  enchantments  ...  I  solemnly  declare 
that  if  there  is  a  true  word  in  metempsychosis,  and 
it  is  left  to  our  choice  to  return  to  the  present 
state  of  existence,  nothing  would  so  sorely  tempt  me 
back,  no  crown,  not  even  that  of  learning — as  the 
simple  assurance  of  the  All-Father  that  he  would 
give  me  again  the  same  dear  mother,  though  I  were 
to  go  begging  with  her  through  the  world. 

L.  S.  H. 

NEW  YORK,  September  1,  1906. 


XIV 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    THE  LITTLE  BOY  AND  THE  GRANDMOTHER  1 

The  Wolf  as  a  Roman 4 

II.    THE  MOTHER'S  FETE-DAY 12 

The  Sick  Lion 14 

III.  SATURDAY  AFTERNOON 17 

Whiteling's  War  with  Isegrim     ...  19 

IV.  THE  FIRE  OF  SHAVINGS 31 

The  Bear,  the  Boar,  and  the  Fox    .     .  32 

V.    FROST-BITTEN  TOES 37 

The  Man,  the  Hare,  the  Fox,   and  the 

Bear 39 

VI.    AFTER  SUPPER 49 

Beinecke's  Revenge  on  Isegrim     ...  49 

VII.    THE  SNOWY  DAY 60 

The  Bird,  the  Fox,  and  the  Dog.     .     .  61 

The  Fox  and  the  Dove 66 

VIII.    THE  ELECTION  MEETING 70 

The  Fox  and  the  Hedgehog     ....  73 

Master  Reinecke  and  Gockeling,  the  Cock  77 

The  Disappointed  Bear 78 

XV 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

IX.    CAT  AND  BOG 82 

Why    the    Dog    Cannot   Endure    the 
Cat,  nor  the  Cat  the  Mouse    .     .     84 

X.    A  PLEASANT  SURPRISE 88 

The  Fox  and  the  Badger 90 

The  Stag  and  the  Hedgehog      ...     93 

XI.    THE  PATIENT  LITTLE  BOY 97 

The  Cock  and  the  Hen 97 

XII.    THE  SHEEP-PLAY 109 

The  Beg  and  the  Fox Ill 

XIII.  GETTING  READY 128 

The  Seven  Stars 129 

XIV.  MOTHER'S-MOTHER 137 

The  Vila  of  Muhlenberg 143 

XV.    THE  LITTLE  BOY  HOMESICK 156 

A  Short  Story 157 

The  Golden  Apple-Tree  and  the  Nine 

Peahens 158 

The  Wonderful  Story 186 

The  Youth  and  the  Vila 190 

XVI.    THE  LITTLE  BOY  SLEEPLESS  .     .     .    .     .196 
The  Vila  in  the  Golden  Castle     .     .  197 

XVII.    HOME  AGAIN 203 

Prince  Hedgehog 205 

xvi 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAOE 

XVIII.    THE  BETROTHAL 212 

The  Deserter 214 

XIX.    IN  THE  FIELDS 228 

The  Hunter 231 

The  Watch-To wer  between  Earth  and 

Heaven 232 

The  Bridge 239 

XX.    TRINITY-MONDAY 242 

So  Born,  So  Die 245 

The  Enchanted  Lambs 253 

The  Knot-Grass 260 

XXI.    THRESHING-TIME 262 

"The  Three  Eels" 264 

XXII.    THE  KOROWAI 273 

Morning-Dew 275 

XXIII.  THE  WEDDING 283 

"  Young  Neverfull" 284 

The  Basil-Plant 288 

XXIV.  AFTER  THE  WEDDING  .......  298 

Steelpacha 299 


XVll 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  old  woman  stole  out  to  the  tree,  crept  under 

the  bed,  and  there  hid  herself      .      .       Frontispiece 

FACING 
PAGE 

Took  his  place  in  the  middle  of  the  field,  with 
his  mouth  wide  open 10 

Step  into  this  sack,    .    .   .   and   I  will  carry  you 
around  the  field 46 

A   shower   of   golden   ducats   fell,    and    lay   upon 
the  plates  in  three  great  heaps 106 

The  third  hoop  dropped  off ;   the  cask  fell  asun- 
der, and  a  dragon  flew  out 172 

Then  the  youth  clambered   down   and   took   the 
Vila  home 194 

Drive  the  sheep  slowly,  one  by  one,  to  the  other 
side 240 

When   he   beheld   the  basil-plant   he  felt   an   ex- 
traordinary love  for  it 288 


The 

Russian  Grandmother's 
Wonder-Tales 

CHAPTER    I 

THE  LITTLE  BOY  AND  THE  GRANDMOTHER 

T  1 1  HE  little  boy's  father  was  starosta,  that 
•*•  is,  Elder  of  the  village,  and  the  house 
the  little  boy  lived  in  was  grander  than  any 
other,  on  whichever  side  of  the  long  street 
you  might  look.  For  it  had  two  rooms 
opening  into  the  court,  and  all  the  other 
houses,  even  that  of  the  pop,  who  said  Mass 
in  the  church  on  Sunday,  had  only  one. 
And  this  grand  house  was  not  crowded  like 
the  other  houses,  where  the  grandparents 
and  the  parents  and  all  the  married  sons  and 
their  wives  and  children  lived  in  the  one 

1 


THE  LITTLE  BOY  AND  THE  GRANDMOTHER 

room.  The  starosta  was  not  a  bolshak,  or 
head  of  a  family,  of  the  old-fashioned  sort. 
He  did  not  consider  that  he  had  a  right  to 
rule  his  children  like  a  despot  and  make 
them  work  for  him,  however  old  they  might 
be,  as  many  of  the  fathers  in  the  village  did. 
He  even  approved  of  young  people  setting 
up  housekeeping  by  themselves.  Therefore, 
though  some  of  the  older  bolshaks  shook 
their  heads  and  said  harm  would  come  of  it, 
when  the  little  boy's  elder  brother  married 
he  permitted  him  to  have  a  house  of  his  own. 
It  was  at  the  far  end  of  the  village. 

Thus,  in  the  little  boy's  house  there  were 
only  the  grandmother,  the  father  and  moth- 
er, the  three  daughters,  the  half -grown  son, 
and  the  little  boy.  They  were  not  at  all 
crowded,  you  see,  for  they  had  two  rooms. 
The  cowherd  woman  and  the  two  moujiks 
who  helped  the  starosta  on  the  land,  slept, 
of  course,  in  the  stalls  with  the  cattle  under 
the  shed  that  went  around  three  sides  of  the 

2 


THE  LITTLE  BOY  AND  THE  GRANDMOTHER 

court.  In  their  warm  sheepskin  coats,  made 
with  the  wool  outside,  they  would  not  have 
been  at  all  cold,  even  if  the  cows  heside 
which  they  slept  had  not  kept  them  warm. 

The  family  always  slept  warm,  too,  for 
father,  mother,  and  all  the  children  slept  on 
the  great  tile  stove  which  occupied  the  cen- 
tre of  the  larger  room,  and  in  this  stove  the 
fire  never  went  entirely  out.  The  grand- 
mother did  not  sleep  on  this  stove,  however. 
The  starosta  greatly  honored  his  old  mother, 
and  to  her  he  gave  the  second  room  in  the 
house  for  herself  alone.  She  had  a  stove 
all  to  herself,  and  slept  on  it  all  alone,  ex- 
cept when  the  little  boy  ran  away  from  the 
great  room  and  cuddled  down  beside  his 
grandmother  for  the  night. 

She  did  not  tell  him  stories  then,  for  night 
is  the  time  for  sleeping,  and  grandmother 
was  tired  after  a  long  day  in  the  fields.  But 
on  rainy  days,  when  the  starosta  would  not 
permit  his  old  mother  to  do  field  work, 

3 


THE  WOLF  AS  A  ROMAN 

grandmother  would  sit  at  home  and  spin, 
and  then  for  happy  times! 

It  was  growing  cold  weather ;  the  harvests 
were  all  in,  the  rains  had  begun,  and  grand- 
mother was  sitting  by  the  stove,  with  her 
distaff  and  spindle  and  a  basket  of  wool  by 
her  side.  In  came  the  little  boy,  settled  him- 
self in  a  snug  place  on  the  stove-top,  and 
said,  very  coaxingly: 

'  Tell  me  a  story,  little  grandmamma!  " 

The  grandmother  ceased  the  song  she  had 
been  singing,  and  answered: 

"  Shall  I  tell  you  about  the  Wolf  that 
wanted  to  be  a  Roman?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  yes!  "  exclaimed  the  little  boy. 
"Tell  me  about  the  wolf!" 

So  the  grandmother  began. 

THE   WOLF   AS   A  ROMAN 

Once  upon  a  time,  Isegrim,  the  Wolf,  sat 
in  the  forest  and  thought  to  himself,  "  Why 
should  I  be  a  wolf  and  go  around  devour- 


THE  WOLF  AS  A  ROMAN 

ing  the  other  beasts?  It  would  be  much 
better  for  me  to  go  out  into  the  world. 
What  if  I  should  go  to  Rome?  Yes,  that's 
it,  I  will  be  a  Roman!  " 

Off  he  set  in  the  best  of  spirits,  and  on 
the  way  he  met  a  Sow.  The  Sow  bristled 
up  in  terror,  but  Isegrim  cried  out,  "  Don't 
be  frightened,  Gruntelind!  I  am  done  with 
Gruntelinds  forever.  I  am  going  to  be  a 
Roman." 

Not  long  after  he  met  a  He-goat.  The 
He-goat  was  greatly  frightened  when  he 
saw  Isegrim,  but  the  Wolf  cried  out,  "  Don't 
be  frightened,  Longbeard!  I'm  not  bother- 
ing myself  with  Longbeards.  I  am  going 
to  be  a  Roman." 

Next  he  met  an  old  Mare.  She  was  hor- 
ribly frightened,  but  he  quieted  her,  saying, 
"Don't  be  frightened,  Skinny-bones!  I 
don't  waste  my  time  with  old  jades  like  you. 
I  am  going  to  be  a  Roman." 

On  went  the  Wolf  for  two  whole  days, 
5 


\ 


THE  WOLF  AS  A  ROMAN 

when  he  began  to  feel  a  mighty  hunger.  So 
he  turned  back,  and  presently  he  came  to 
the  pasture  where  he  had  met  the  old  Mare. 
Now  was  the  Mare  terrified.  She  quaked 
with  fear,  and  well  she  might,  for  the  Wolf 
said  to  her,  "  Mare,  I  am  going  to  devour 
you!" 

"How  dare  you  say  so!"  exclaimed  the 
Mare.  "  You  told  me  you  were  a  Roman." 

"  Roman  here  or  Roman  there,"  snarled 
Isegrim,  "  I  am  going  to  gnaw  your  bones." 

"Very  well,"  returned  the  Mare;  "if 
there  is  no  help  for  it,  come  again  by  and 
by,  when  I  am  plumper  and  juicier." 

So  the  Wolf  went  on  his  way.  Presently 
he  met  the  He-goat.  "  Ho,  Longbeard," 
cried  he,  "  your  time  has  come!  " 

"  I  dare  you  to  touch  me ! "  replied  the 
He-goat.  "  You  are  not  a  Wolf;  you  are 
a  Roman." 

"  Roman  here  or  Roman  there,"  retorted 
the  Wolf,  "  I  shall  dine  on  you  to-day." 

6 


THE  WOLF  AS  A  ROMAN 

'  What  must  be,  must,"  replied  the  He- 
goat;  "  but  since  you  are  bound  to  eat  me, 
just  grant  me  life  till  the  woods  are  green 
again." 

The  Wolf  was  beguiled,  and  on  he  went 
till  he  met  the  Sow.  "  Listen  to  me,  Grunt- 
elind,"  said  he;  "I  am  going  to  make  short 
work  with  you  now." 

'  You  daren't  do  it,"  replied  the  Sow. 
"  You  are  no  Wolf;  you  are  a  noble  Ro- 


man." 


"  Roman  here  or  Roman  there,"  said  the 
Wolf,  "  I  am  bound  to  eat  you." 

6  Very  well,"  replied  the  Sow;  "  since  you 
insist,  come  another  day,  when  I  am  fatter." 

The  Wolf  consented,  and  away  he  went 
to  look  for  that  Mare  again. 

"Listen  now,  Skinny-bones,"  said  he; 
"  you  are  to  die  on  the  spot." 

"  If  your  mind  is  really  made  up,"  replied 
the  Mare,  "  I  have  nothing  to  say;  but  first 
look  at  my  left  hind  hoof,  for  my  master 

7 


THE  WOLF  AS  A  ROMAN 

had  me  shod  the  other  day,  and  the  smith 
marked  my  age  upon  the  horseshoe.  Read 
how  old  I  am,  and  then  you  will  be  able  to 
boast  what  an  old  Mare  you  have  eaten." 

The  Wolf  thought  this  a  fine  plan,  and 
he  drew  near.  Then  the  Mare  raised  her 
hoof  and  dealt  Isegrim  so  smart  a  blow  on 
the  head  that  he  ran  off  with  a  cracked 
crown,  as  fast  as  his  heels  could  carry  him. 

On  the  way  he  met  the  Sow.  "  See  here, 
Gruntelind,"  he  said  to  her,  "there  is  no 
escape  this  time." 

'  Very  well,"  replied  the  Sow;  "  since 
there  is  no  help  for  it,  just  lead  me  around 
by  the  ear  until  I  say  good-by  to  all  my 
kith  and  kin." 

Isegrim  seized  her  by  the  ear,  when  she 
set  up  so  shrill  and  piteous  a  squealing  that 
the  Swine  all  rushed  to  the  spot  from  far 
and  near,  and  falling  upon  Cousin  Isegrim 
they  almost  tore  him  in  pieces.  Mangled 
and  bleeding,  he  made  his  escape,  and  meet- 

8 


THE  WOLF  AS  A  ROMAN 
ing  the  He-goat,  he  said,  "  Your  time  has 


come." 


"  If  that  is  the  case,"  replied  the  He-goat, 
"  just  stand  in  the  middle  of  the  field,  with 
your  mouth  wide  open,  and  my  brothers  and 
I  will  jump  down  your  throat,  one  after  the 
other.  Then  you  won't  be  hungry  again  for 
many  a  long  day." 

This  plan  greatly  pleased  Isegrim,  and  he 
took  his  place  in  the  middle  of  the  field, 
with  his  mouth  wide  open.  Then  all  the 
He-goats  ran  against  him,  butting  at  him, 
before  and  behind,  till  he  could  neither  hear 
nor  see,  and  it  was  all  he  could  do  to  escape 
to  the  nearest  wood. 

There  he  spied  a  Cock,  and  said  to  him, 
"  Now,  see  here,  Gockeling,  I  am  not  to  be 
fooled  by  you,  at  any  rate." 

The  Cock  replied,  "  Just  look  at  me  once, 
how  thin  I  am  and  what  big  feathers  I  have. 
Why  should  you  bother  to  pluck  me?  It 
would  save  you  a  world  of  trouble  if  I  got 

9 


THE  WOLF  AS  A  ROMAN 

up  into  this  tree  and  just  flew  down  your 
throat." 

Isegrim  thought  this  a  fine  idea.  So 
Gockeling  flew  up  into  the  tree.  He  hopped 
from  branch  to  branch  until  he  was  in  per- 
fect safety,  and  then  crowed  loud  and  lustily 
to  proclaim  his  escape. 

At  this  the  Wolf  sank  into  deep  thought. 
"  My  father  lived  comfortably,"  he  said  to 
himself,  "  and  was  never  a  Roman;  neither 
should  I  have  been  one — it  has  served  me 
right.  My  father  was  no  expert  in  Mares' 
paces,  yet  he  lived  in  peace  and  happiness; 
neither  should  I  have  been  one — it  has  served 
me  right.  My  father  was  no  Swine  musi- 
cian, but  he  lived  well  for  all  that;  neither 
should  I  have  been  one — it  has  served  me 
right.  My  father  never  measured  a  field 
with  He-goats,  but  he  grew  gray  honorably 
for  all  that;  only  one  thing  rankles — that 
this  scoundrel  up  in  the  tree  crows  over  me 
so.  It  would  be  none  too  good  for  me  if 
10 


Took  his  place  in  the  middle  of  the  field,  with  his  mouth 
wide  open 


THE  WOLF  AS  A  ROMAN 

some  one  should  jump  from  behind  the  tree 
and  knock  me  over  the  head." 

As  luck  would  have  it,  a  moujik  was 
standing  behind  the  tree,  and  he  fetched 
the  Wolf  a  blow  on  the  head  with  his  axe. 
Then  Isegrim  cried  out  with  his  last  breath, 
"  Well,  I  vow,  on  this  blessed  day  one  can't 
even  talk  to  himself  without  being  made 
sorry  for  it!" 

The  little  boy  was  thoughtful  for  a  few 
minutes.  "  Did  you  know  that  Wolf,  little 
grandma?  "  he  asked  at  length. 

"No,  not  I,"  replied  the  grandmother; 
"  it  was  my  great-great-grandmother  who 
knew  him." 


11 


CHAPTER   II 

THE  MOTHER'S  F&TE-DAY 

IT  was  the  fete-day  of  the  little  boy's 
mother,  and  she  was  dressed  in  the  beau- 
tiful clothes  that  had  been  her  mother's  and 
her  grandmother's  festival  clothes.  Her 
gown,  which  she  called  her  sarafam,  was  of 
a  lovely  light-blue  stuff,  and  on  her  head 
she  wore  a  diadem  of  gold,  all  studded  with 
little  pearls.  Many  of  the  village  people 
came  to  kiss  the  baboushka's  hand  and  to 
bring  her  gifts,  so  that  the  house  was  quite 
crowded  with  people  drinking  coffee  and 
talking  loudly.  When  the  baboushka  went 
to  church  to  offer  thanks  she  put  on  her 
long  fur-trimmed  chougaii  (we  should  call 
it  a  coat),  and  over  that  a  thick,  wadded 
12 


THE  MOTHER'S  FETE-DAY 

duchegreika,  or  hug-me-tight.  It  was  a 
cold  day,  and  she  was  not  too  warmly 
clothed,  but  if  her  fete-day  had  come  in  the 
heat  of  summer  she  would  have  worn  these 
things  just  the  same. 

The  little  boy  went  to  church  with  his 
mother,  and  when  they  came  back  he  was 
very  hungry.  But  the  feast-table  was  not 
yet  spread,  for  the  starosta  and  the  older 
children  were  still  in  the  fields  pulling  stub- 
ble. The  grandmother  was  not  in  the  fields, 
for  the  day  was  too  cold,  so  the  little  boy 
went  into  her  room.  She  had  on  her  fes- 
tival clothes  in  honor  of  the  feast,  but  she 
was  spinning  as  usual  and  humming  a  little 
song. 

"I'm  so  hungry,  grandmother,"  said  the 
little  boy. 

'  Would  you  spoil  the  feast  by  eating 
now?  "  asked  the  grandmother.  "  The  best 
way  is  to  forget  all  about  being  hungry  till 
the  feast  begins." 


THE  SICK  LION 

"How  can  I  forget?"  asked  the  little 
boy.  "  My  mouth  cries  '  food! '  " 

"If  little  grandmother  puts  a  story  in 
your  ears  will  your  mouth  cease  crying? " 
asked  the  grandmother. 

"  Oh,  yes,  yes!  "  cried  the  little  boy. 

So  grandmother  told  the  story  of 

THE   SICK   LION 

Once  upon  a  time  a  Lion  lay  sick  in 
his  den.  Master  Petz,  the  Bear,  called  to 
pay  his  respects;  whereupon  the  Lion  thus 
spoke : 

"  Dear  Bruin,  tell  me  the  honest  truth- 
is  it,  or  is  it  not  very  close  in  this  den? " 

"Yes,  indeed!"  replied  Petz,  "it  does 
smell  horribly  here."  Upon  this  the  Lion 
flew  into  a  rage  and  tore  the  Bear  into  a 
thousand  pieces. 

Lampe,  the  Hare,  was  standing  near  the 
door  of  the  den,  and  observed  this  mishap. 
Tremblingly  he  approached  the  Lion,  who 
14 


THE  SICK  LION 

asked  him,  "  Tell  me,  dear  Lampe,  is  it  not 
close  in  my  den?  " 

"  Oh,  dear,  no!  "  replied  the  Hare;  "  why 
should  it  be  close?  On  the  contrary,  the  air 
seems  to  me  delightfully  fresh." 

"You  lie!"  retorted  the  Lion,  in  high 
dudgeon;  "it  is  not  delightfully  fresh;  on 
the  contrary,  it  is  disgustingly  close,"  and 
he  tore  the  Hare  limb  from  limb. 

Isegrim,  the  Wolf,  saw  and  heard  all  this, 
for  he  was  standing  near  the  door  of  the 
den.  He  stepped  in,  and  bowed  low  before 
the  Lion,  who  immediately  put  the  same 
question  to  him,  "  See  here,  Isegrim,  tell  me 
truly  and  honestly,  is  it  close  in  my  den  or 
not? " 

"Neither,  sire!"  replied  the  obsequious 
Wolf. 

"  Oh,  you  good-for-nothing  liar!  "  roared 
the  Lion,  "  it  must  be  either  one  or  the  other; 
either  it  is  close  or  it  is  not,"  and  he  seized 
him  and  tore  him  to  pieces. 

15 


THE  SICK  LION 

Reinecke,  the  Fox,  was  looking  in  from 
outside,  and  now  he  drew  near  to  pay  his  re- 
spects. So  the  Lion  asked  him,  "  See  here, 
Master  Reinecke,  do  you  tell  me  now,  is  it 
close  in  my  den  or  not?  " 

"  Pardon  me,  august  monarch,"  replied 
Reinecke  very  humbly,  "  but  by  all  I  hold 
blessed  I  am  not  able  to  tell  you,  for  I  have 
taken  such  a  cold  that,  upon  honor,  I  cannot 
smell.  But  I  do  hate  a  lie  from  the  bottom 
of  my  heart." 

And  the  Lion  spared  Reinecke's  life  be- 
cause he  had  such  a  clever  wit. 

"  WiU  the  Baby  and  the  little  boy  gra- 
ciously come  to  supper?  "  asked  the  cow -herd 
woman,  opening  the  door.  "  The  gracious 
baboushkas  feast  is  ready." 

So  the  little  boy  and  his  grandmother, 
whom  they  call  the  Baby  in  Russia,  gayly 
went  in  to  the  feast. 


16 


CHAPTER    III 

SATURDAY   AFTERNOON 

IT  was  Saturday  afternoon,  and  the  little 
boy  had  been  with  his  mother  to  the  vil- 
lage vapor-bath.  After  that  he  had  been 
dressed  in  his  Sunday  clothes.  His  white 
shirt,  which  he  called  his  roubachka,  hung 
outside  of  his  best  portki,  or  loose,  colored 
trousers.  His  legs  were  wound  round  with 
many  bands  of  colored  cloth,  called  onon- 
tchi,  and  on  his  feet  he  wore  bachmaki,  or 
shoes.  When  he  grew  to  be  a  man  he  would 
wear  very  high,  large-topped  sapoghi,  with 
his  trousers  tucked  into  them,  like  his  father, 
and  then  he  would  not  need  onontchi  on  his 
legs.  But  he  was  only  a  little  boy  yet. 

The  popod'ya  had  come  to  call  on  his 
mother.    She  was  the  priest's  wife,  and  was 
17 


SATURDAY  AFTERNOON 

very  old,  and  the  little  boy  did  not  care  for 
what  she  and  his  mother  were  talking  about. 
So  he  stole  away  into  his  grandmother's 
room.  The  grandmother  was  kneeling  be- 
fore the  ikon,  the  sacred  picture  of  the  Vir- 
gin and  Child,  which  hung  on  the  wall  with 
a  tiny  lamp  lighted  before  it.  The  little 
boy  would  not  disturb  his  grandmother 
while  she  was  saying  her  Saturday  evening 
prayer,  but  he  hoped  she  would  not  be  long. 
Perhaps  she  was  almost  through,  for  pres- 
ently she  rose  from  her  knees,  lifting  her- 
self by  her  stick.  The  little  boy  ran  to  help 
her,  and  led  her  to  the  stove.  She  sat  down 
upon  it,  for  her  knees  were  cold  from  the 
clay  floor,  and  the  little  boy  climbed  up  be- 
side her. 

"  Now  the  work  is  all  done,  little  grand- 
ma," he  said,  putting  his  hands  on  either 
side  of  her  face,  "  and  you  can  tell  me  a 
long  story,  can't  you?  " 

"Hum,  hum!"  said  the  grandmother, 
18 


WHITELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM 

pretending  to  look  cross.      '  Why  should  I 
tell  you  a  long  story?  " 

"  Oh,  because  I  have  my  Sunday  clothes 
on,  and  must  not  play  in  the  dirt!  "  replied 
the  little  boy.  "  Don't  you  know  a  long 
story,  grandma?  " 

'  Would  you  like  to  hear  about 

"WHITELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM?" 

asked  the  Baby. 

"Yes,  indeed,  that  I  should!"  cried  the 
little  boy. 

So  the  grandmother  began: 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  moujik 
who  had  a  perfectly  white  Dog,  which  he 
called  Whiteling.  Now  Whiteling  had 
struck  up  a  great  friendship  with  Isegrim, 
the  Wolf,  and  one  day  each  made  a  solemn 
compact  never  to  betray  the  other  in  any  of 
their  stealings. 

Not  long  after,  Isegrim  said  to  White- 
ling  one  day,  "  I  intend  to  make  a  call  upon 
19 


WHITELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM 

your  master's  swine  to-night ;  so  do  you  keep 
no  watch,  but  just  lie  as  still  as  possible,  and 
don't  wake  up  the  whole  family  with  your 
barking,  as  you  usually  do,  for  you  know 
that  they  will  move  heaven  and  earth  to 
capture  me." 

"  Kill  all  the  swine,  if  you  like,"  replied 
Whiteling;  "  I  won't  betray  you." 

"A  word  is  enough,  brother;  I  shall  be 
there,"  said  Isegrim;  and  so  the  friends 
parted. 

Punctually  at  nightfall  Isegrim  appeared 
and  greeted  Whiteling  heartily,  saying,  "  I 
gave  you  my  word,  and  as  you  see,  here 
I  am." 

"  Get  to  work,  then,"  replied  Whiteling; 
"  you  have  nothing  to  fear  from  me." 

Isegrim  crept  cautiously  to  the  swine-pen. 
He  had  all  the  work  in  the  world  to  get  in, 
and  once  in,  he  had  hardly  begun  his  meal 
when  the  swine  broke  out  in  fearful  squeal- 
ings  and  gruntings.  Whiteling,  at  the 
20 


WHITELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM 

house-door,  no  sooner  heard  the  noise  than 
he  began  to  bark  and  whine  with  all  his 
might,  waking  all  the  family  with  his  noise. 

"  What  makes  our  Whiteling  howl  so? " 
they  said.  "  We  must  go  out  and  see  what 
the  trouble  is." 

So  all  the  family  went  out,  and  hearing 
the  squealing  of  the  swine,  they  hastened  to 
the  pigpen.  Peeping  in,  they  saw  the  Wolf 
and  set  upon  him  with  clubs  and  fists,  be- 
laboring him  so  soundly  that  he  barely  es- 
caped with  a  whole  skin. 

Waiting  till  the  family  had  returned  to 
bed,  Isegrim  crept  back,  and  seizing  White- 
ling  by  the  throat,  "Aha!"  he  cried,  "I 
have  caught  you  now.  You  pledged  me 
your  word  not  to  bark,  and  you  broke  your 
promise.  No,  I'll  never  forgive  you.  Just 
look  at  me  once,  what  a  plight  I'm  in." 

Whiteling  began  to  beg.  "  Ah,  let  me 
go,  let  me  go,  dear,  sweet  brother  Isegrim; 
forgive  me  just  this  once;  I'll  never  do  it 
21 


WHITELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM 

again;  come  again  and  steal  whenever  you 
like;  you  may  be  perfectly  sure  of  me! " 

'  Will  you  ever  play  me  another  such 
trick? "  asked  Isegrim. 

"  Never,  never  again!  "  said  Whiteling. 

"  Very  well,  then,"  said  the  Wolf,  "  you 
may  go  free  this  once;  but  next  time,  re- 
member, hold  your  tongue !  " 

A  few  days  later  Isegrim  paid  the  swine 
a  second  visit,  but  he  had  hardly  crept  into 
the  pen  when  Whiteling  set  up  a  howl  so 
loud  and  clear  that  all  the  household  sprang 
out  of  bed  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  A 
second  time  they  found  the  Wolf,  fell  upon 
him,  and  beat  him  half -dead.  The  unlucky 
visitor  barely  escaped  with  his  life,  and  full 
of  wrath,  he  hid  behind  the  hedge  and 
waited  till  the  household  were  asleep.  Then, 
seeing  Whiteling  before  the  house-door,  he 
cried  to  him,  "Just  wait  once,  Whiteling; 
your  last  half -hour  strikes  when  you  fall 
into  my  clutches !  If  you  weren't  just  where 
22 


WHITELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM 

you  are,  safe  at  the  house-door,  I'd  soon  pay 
you  off;  but  my  time  will  come  before  long." 

Again  Whiteling  began  to  beg.  "  Dear- 
est Isegrim,  it  is  indeed  true  that  I  have 
brought  you  into  a  terrible  pickle,  but  don't 
kill  me;  let  me  go  this  time.  I'll  never  do  it 
again." 

But  the  Wolf  replied,  "  Neither  now  nor 
ever;  you  cheated  me  out  of  that  meal  of 
swine's  flesh,  and  three  days  from  now  you 
must  meet  me  in  battle.  I  will  summon  my 
forces,  and  do  you  summon  yours — that  is, 
if  you  can  muster  any.  If  you  don't  show 
up,  I'll  soon  know  where  to  find  you,  and 
I'll  drag  you  there  myself! " 

"  All  right,"  returned  Whiteling,  "  come 
what  may,  I'll  be  there  without  fail." 

So  Isegrim  hastened  away  to  get  his 
troops  together,  and  meeting  the  Wild  Boar 
he  said  to  him,  "  Will  you  be  on  my  side? 
There  is  going  to  be  war  between  me  and 
Whiteling  three  days  from  now." 

23 


WHITELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM 

"  Oh,"  replied  the  Wild  Boar,  "  indeed  I 
will  be  on  your  side!  " 

A  little  farther  Isegrim  met  Master  Petz, 
the  Bear,  told  him  the  whole  matter,  and 
begged  him  to  be  on  his  side.  Petz  most 
cheerfully  promised  his  help. 

Later,  he  met  Reinecke,  the  Fox,  and 
told  him  the  whole  story.  Reinecke  assured 
him  that  he  might  certainly  count  upon  his 
help — how  could  he  ever  hesitate  to  stand  by 
his  old  crony  against  the  common  enemy? 

Then  said  Isegrim,  "  Now  we  are  quite 
enough;  but  I  must  spy  out  Whiteling  and 
learn  what  forces  he  has.  Then  I  will  let 
you  know  that  we  are  all  ready  for  war." 

Isegrim  betook  himself  to  Whiteling's 
house,  and  standing  in  the  lane  looked  over 
the  hedge.  "  Are  you  ready,  Whiteling?  " 
he  asked.  "  To-morrow  is  the  day." 

"  I  shall  be  ready,"  replied  Whiteling  in 
a  tone  of  deepest  dejection;  "but  tell  me 
precisely,  where  is  the  battle  to  be? " 
24 


WHITELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM 

"  You  knew  very  well,"  replied  Isegrim; 
"  yonder,  under  the  tree  we  agreed  upon/' 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  Dog,  and  slunk 
sorrowfully  away  to  the  other  side  of  the 
farm-yard.  There  the  Tomcat  met  him 
and  said,  "  Why,  my  dear  Whiteling,  what 
can  be  the  matter,  what  makes  you  so 
sad?" 

And  Whiteling  answered,  "  My  dear 
Grimalkin,  you  don't  know  where  the  shoe 
pinches.  Will  you  come  to  my  aid?  " 

'  Why,  what  are  you  talking  about? " 
asked  the  surprised  Cat. 

"  Just  think  of  it,"  replied  the  Dog,  "  to- 
morrow I  have  to  fight  Isegrim;  we  have 
declared  war  to  the  knife." 

"  Oh,  oh,  my  Whiteling,  cheer  up!  I'll 
stand  by  you  to  the  death.  Just  you  go  to 
friend  Quacker,  the  Drake,  and  engage  his 
help." 

With  a  lighter  heart  Whiteling  sought 
friend  Quacker  and  begged  his  friendly  aid. 
25 


WHITELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM 

'  To  be  sure,  to  be  sure;  I  am  your  com- 
rade. Why  should  I  leave  a  friend  in  the 
lurch?  Go  to  friend  Ganner,  the  Gander, 
and  ask  him  if  he  feels  like  having  a  part 
in  the  war." 

So  said  and  so  done.  Whiteling  found 
the  Gander,  explained  the  affair  and  begged 
for  his  help.  "  Of  course,  why  should  I  not 
be  ready  to  help?  Aren't  you  our  guard 
every  night  to  keep  Reinecke  from  making 
off  with  us?  " 

"  Now,"  said  Whiteling,  "  I  think  we  are 
strong  enough." 

Early  next  morning  Isegrim  met  his  allies 
upon  the  battle-field  under  the  appointed 
tree.  He  hid  the  Wild  Boar  beneath  a  thick 
bed  of  moss  which  grew  upon  the  ground, 
and  bade  Reinecke  climb  into  the  tree,  say- 
ing, "  You  must  be  our  sentinel,  Master. 
Keep  watch  when  Whiteling  appears  with 
his  troop,  and  give  us  secret  intelligence. 
You,  too,  Petz,  must  scramble  up  the  tree, 
26 


WHITELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM 

but  I  will  crouch  down  in  ambush  behind 
the  trunk." 

Meanwhile  Whiteling  was  also  disposing 
his  forces.  "  Grimalkin  and  Ganner,  you 
are  the  infantry.  I  see  that  your  weapon  is 
ready,  Grimalkin"  (for  Grimalkin  held  his 
tail  upright,  by  way  of  musket)  ;  "  and  you, 
Ganner,  must  hiss  your  very  best.  Quacker, 
you  shall  be  the  drummer.  I  reserve  to  my- 
self the  command.  March  according  to  or- 
ders, and  fall  to  when  I  give  the  word." 

So  Whiteling  and  his  comrades  went 
gayly  to  the  battle — Whiteling  and  his 
drummer  in  front,  Grimalkin  and  Ganner 
bringing  up  the  rear.  Quacker  drummed 
his  prettiest — "  Quack-quack,  quack-quack, 
quack-quack!  "  The  Gander  hissed  and  the 
Tomcat  strutted  along  in  dignified  silence, 
carrying  his  tail  straight  upright  like  a 
musket. 

When  Reinecke  perceived  the  approach- 
ing company  he  cried  to  Isegrim,  "  Cousin, 
27 


WHITELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM 

cousin,  here  come  two  soldiers  with  a  drum- 
mer and  a  captain! " 

'  What's  that  you  say?  "  asked  Isegrim  in 
dismay. 

"  I  say,  here  come  two  soldiers  with  a 
drummer  and  a  captain,"  replied  Reinecke. 
"  The  soldier  is  loading  his  gun,  he  takes 
aim,  he  is  about  to  fire " 

"  Alas !  woe  be  to  us  poor  fellows/' 
moaned  the  Wild  Boar  from  under  the 
moss.  "  It's  all  over  with  us!  We  fight 
with  unequal  forces! " 

"  Courage,  courage,  fellows,"  cried  Ise- 
grim, trying  to  rally  his  troops;  "  just  bear 
yourselves  bravely ;  all  is  not  lost ;  we'll  make 
short  work  of  them  yet! " 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  confusion  White- 
ling  and  his  troops  reached  the  spot  unper- 
ceived.  Grimalkin,  catching  a  glimpse  of 
the  Wild  Boar's  ear  sticking  out  of  the 
moss,  took  it  for  a  mouse,  and  springing 
upon  it,  bit  into  it  with  his  sharp  teeth.  The 
28 


WfflTELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM 

Wild  Boar  sprang  up  in  terror  and  took 
wildly  to  flight,  while  Grimalkin,  no  less 
terrified,  scrambled  frantically  up  the  tree 
into  the  very  face  of  Master  Petz.  The 
Bear,  not  prepared  for  this  unexpected  en- 
counter, lost  his  balance  and  tumbled  to  the 
ground,  half -killing  himself  by  the  fall. 
More  frightened  than  ever,  the  Tomcat 
scrambled  blindly  up  to  the  tree-top. 

"  Now,  it's  my  turn,"  thought  Reinecke  to 
himself,  and  immediately  tumbled  down  in 
affright.  Grimalkin  tumbled  after,  while 
the  Drake  kept  drumming,  "  Quack-quack, 
quack-quack,  quack-quack,"  and  Ganner 
hissed  with  all  his  might.  Thus  was  Ise- 
grim's  host  ignominiously  routed.  The  Wolf 
himself,  however,  still  cowered  behind  the 
tree,  his  head  buried  in  the  moss. 

When  the  besiegers  had  withdrawn,  Ise- 

grim's  scattered  forces  drew  together  and 

began  to  count  their  honorable  scars.     Said 

Master  Petz,  "  More  dead  than  alive  from 

29 


WHITELING'S  WAR  WITH  ISEGRIM 

my  heavy  fall,  I  barely  managed  to  make 
my  escape." 

"A  piece  of  my  ear  is  gone,"  said  the 
Boar.  "  He  cut  it  off  with  his  sword." 

"  Let  us  be  thankful,  fellows,"  concluded 
Reinecke,  "  that  we  are  no  worse  off,  for  if 
they  had  been  able  to  fire  off  one  more  can- 
non we  should  have  been  hopelessly  lost!  " 

"  I  wish  I  knew  that  Dog,"  said  the  little 
boy.  "  I  think  he  is  wiser  than  our  Watch." 

"  The  beasts  were  wiser  those  days,"  re- 
plied the  grandmother.  '  That  was  my 
great-great-grandmother's  time." 


30 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE   FIBE   OF   SHAVINGS 

HE  snow  had  fallen  heavily,  and  some 
•*•  of  the  sheep  were  missing.  The  two 
moujiks  put  on  their  warm  sheepskin  clothes 
and  went  to  look  for  them,  taking  Watch, 
the  sheep-dog,  with  them.  The  starosta  sat 
in  the  house,  making  a  plough-handle  out 
of  a  tree-branch  which  he  had  cut  down  one 
day  long  ago  because  he  saw  it  was  the  right 
shape  for  a  plough-handle  in  case  he  should 
ever  need  a  new  one.  The  little  boy  gath- 
ered up  the  shavings  that  fell  from  under 
the  long,  two-handled  knife.  He  played 
with  them  until  he  was  tired  of  them,  and 
then  he  gathered  them  all  in  the  skirt  of  his 
shirt  and  carried  them  to  his  grandmother's 
room. 

81 


THE  BEAR,  THE  BOAR,  AND  THE  FOX 

"  I  have  brought  you  some  shavings  to 
make  you  warm,  grandmother,"  he  said. 

His  grandmother  opened  the  stove-door, 
where  the  fire  was  smouldering,  carefully 
covered  up,  for  fuel  is  dear.  The  little  boy 
put  his  shavings  in,  one  by  one,  and  watched 
them  as  they  slowly  caught  fire  and  broke 
into  a  blaze.  When  they  were  all  burned 
up  he  went  and  stood  by  his  grandmother. 

"  Did  they  make  you  warm,  little  grand- 
ma? "  he  asked. 

"  Nice  and  warm,"  answered  the  grand- 
mother. "  Now,  what  can  I  do  for  you  in 
thanks? " 

"A  story,  a  story!"  cried  the  little  boy, 
climbing  upon  the  stove  to  be  comfortable. 
And  the  grandmother  told  the  story  of 

THE   BEAR,   THE   BOAR,   AND  THE   FOX 

A  Bear,  a  Boar,  and  a  Fox  once  went 
into  partnership  to  till  a  field  and  raise  some 
wheat,  that  they  might  earn  their  bread  hon- 
32 


THE  BEAR,  THE  BOAR,  AND  THE  FOX 

estly.  Said  the  Boar,  "  I  will  break  into  a 
granary  and  steal  the  seed,  and  with  my 
snout  I  will  plough  up  the  field." 

"  I  will  be  the  sower,"  said  the  Bear;  and 
Reinecke  added,  "  I  will  spread  the  earth 
over  the  seed  with  my  tail." 

So  the  field  was  ploughed  and  the  seed 
sown.  By  and  by  came  harvest-time,  and  the 
friends  took  counsel  together  as  to  the  reap- 
ing. Said  the  Boar,  "  I  will  cut  the  grain." 
Said  the  Bear,  "  I  will  bind  the  sheaves." 
And  the  Fox  said,  "  I  will  glean  the  scat- 
tered ears." 

The  grain  was  cut  and  the  sheaves  set  up. 
The  next  thing  was  the  threshing.  Said 
the  Boar,  "  I  will  provide  the  threshing- 
floor."  "  I  will  carry  the  sheaves,"  said  the 
Bear,  "  and  will  do  the  threshing  into  the 
bargain."  "I'll  shake  out  the  sheaves,"  said 
the  Boar,  "  and  break  off  the  ears  from  the 
stalks."  "  I  will  clear  away  the  chaff  with 
my  tail,"  said  the  Fox. 
83 


THE  BEAR,  THE  BOAR,  AND  THE  FOX 

"  I  will  winnow  the  grain,"  said  the  Boar, 
"  and  separate  the  straw  from  the  wheat;  " 
and  Gossip  Petz  added,  "  And  I  will  attend 
to  the  dividing." 

And  so  the  grain  was  threshed. 

Next  came  the  Bear  to  do  the  dividing, 
but  he  was  neither  fair  nor  honest,  for  he 
gave  the  Boar  all  the  straw  and  kept  all  the 
grain  for  himself,  not  leaving  the  least  thing 
for  the  Fox.  At  this  Reinecke  flew  into  a 
rage  and  threatened  them  both  with  the  law, 
saying  he  would  bring  the  emperor's  officer 
to  divide  it  all  fairly  and  squarely. 

Away  he  went  for  the  officer,  leaving  the 
Boar  and  the  Bear  greatly  terrified.  Said 
Master  Petz  to  the  Boar,  "  Just  bury  your- 
self in  the  straw,  my  child,  while  I  clamber 
up  into  yonder  pear-tree."  The  Boar  at 
once  vanished  under  the  straw,  while  the 
Bear  scrambled  up  into  the  pear-tree. 

Meanwhile  Reinecke  set  out,  and  on  the 
way  he  met  a  Cat,  whom  he  invited  to  come 
34 


THE  BEAR,  THE  BOAR,  AND  THE  FOX 

and  hunt  mice  with  him  upon  a  certain 
threshing-floor. 

The  Cat  gladly  accepted  the  invitation, 
for  she  full  well  knew  that  there  are  plenty 
of  mice  in  a  threshing-floor;  hut  on  the  way 
she  kept  hunting  birds  in  the  bushes  along 
the  roadside.  The  Bear,  who  was  watching 
from  the  pear-tree,  espied  her  from  afar, 
and  called  down  to  the  Boar: 

"  We  are  in  a  pretty  scrape,  dear  Boar, 
for  here  comes  Master  Reinecke  and  a  fear- 
ful monster  with  him.  He  wears  the  fur 
coat  of  a  Marten  and  is  killing  birds  upon 
the  wing  all  along  the  way." 

By  this  time  the  Bear  lost  sight  of  the 
Cat,  which  had  reached  the  threshing-floor 
under  cover  of  the  grass,  and  was  creeping 
about  in  the  straw  in  search  of  mice.  Full 
of  curiosity,  the  Boar  stuck  his  head  out  a 
little  way  to  see  what  was  going  on;  when 
the  Cat,  mistaking  his  snout  for  a  mouse, 
sprang  forward  and  buried  her  claws  in  it. 
35 


THE  BEAR,  THE  BOAR,  AND  THE  FOX 

At  this  the  Boar  gave  a  fearful  grunt,  and 
rushed  frantically  into  a  neighboring  stream, 
while  the  Bear,  who,  from  the  uproar,  con- 
cluded that  the  Cat  had  killed  the  Boar  and 
would  seize  him  next,  tumbled  headlong 
from  the  pear-tree  in  terror,  and  breaking 
his  neck  by  the  fall,  perished  miserably. 

So  Master  Reinecke  got  all  the  grain  and 
the  straw  into  the  bargain. 

"  I  am  glad  he  got  it  all,"  said  the  little 
boy.  "  It  wasn't  fair  of  Petz  and  the  Boar 
to  serve  Reinecke  that  way." 

"  Master  Reinecke  is  generally  able  to 
look  out  for  himself,"  said  the  grandmother. 


36 


CHAPTER   V 

FROST-BITTEN   TOES 

rriHERE  was  a  great  shouting  and  hur- 
•*•  rahing  in  the  court,  for  the  moujiks 
had  found  the  sheep  and  were  driving  them 
home.  The  little  boy  ran  out  to  see  them 
come  in.  They  were  trembling  with  cold 
and  looked  very  weak,  for  they  had  had 
nothing  to  eat  for  two  days.  They  had 
been  buried  under  the  snow,  and  it  had  taken 
all  that  time  to  find  them.  They  were  glad 
to  go  into  their  pen,  and  the  little  boy  was 
glad  when  his  father  gave  him  a  pail  with 
food  in  it  and  let  him  help  the  moujiks  feed 
them. 

The   cow-herd   woman   came   to    watch. 
"  You  should  not  have  come  out  in  bare 
feet,"  she  said  to  the  little  boy.     "  Where 
are  your  bachmaki? " 
87 


FROST-BITTEN  TOES 

"  Your  feet  are  bare,"  replied  the  little 
boy. 

"  I  am  old  and  am  used  to  it,"  said  the 
cow-herd  woman.  *  You  will  freeze  your 
toes." 

When  the  sheep  were  all  fed  the  little 
boy's  toes  began  to  ache,  and  he  ran  into 
the  house.  "  Keep  away  from  the  fire," 
said  his  eldest  sister,  who  was  weaving  at 
the  loom  in  the  corner.  "  If  you  go  near 
the  fire  your  toes  will  sting." 

The  little  boy's  toes  were  stinging  already, 
and  he  began  to  cry. 

"  Run  away  to  grandmother,"  said  the 
eldest  sister.  "  She  will  warm  your  toes 
with  her  hands." 

The  grandmother  heard  the  little  boy 
crying  and  she  came  to  the  door  to  see 
what  was  the  matter,  for  it  makes  a  grand- 
mother's heart  ache  to  hear  a  child's  cries. 
When  she  saw  the  bare  toes,  white  with  cold, 
she  gathered  the  little  boy  up  in  her  arms 
38 


THE  MAN,  THE  HARE,  THE  FOX,  THE  BEAR 

and  carried  him  to  her  room.  There  she  sat 
down,  far  away  from  the  fire,  took  the  cold 
feet  in  her  hands  and  rubbed  them  to  make 
them  warm.  Then  the  little  boy  stopped 
crying. 

"  They  are  warm  now,"  he  said.  "  But  I 
don't  want  to  get  down.  It  is  nice  in  your 
lap." 

'  You  may  sit  here  while  I  tell  you  a 
story,"  said  the  grandmother.  "  Then  you 
must  get  down,  for  I  haven't  finished  my 
stint  of  spinning." 

"I  will,"  said  the  little  boy;  and  the 
grandmother  told  him  the  story  of 

THE  MAN,  THE  HABE,  THE  FOX,  AND  THE 
BEAR 

Not  far  from  a  Hare's  form  a  Bear  once 
had  her  den,  and  Master  Lampe  often  gave 
himself  the  treat  of  visiting  the  den  in 
Petz's  absence  and  teasing  the  little  Petzes. 

6  You  dear  little  birds/'  he  would  say, 
99 


THE  MAN,  THE  HARE,  THE  FOX,  THE  BEAR 

"do  let  me  hear  your  enchanting  songs!" 
And  he  would  spit  at  them,  and  make  all 
manner  of  game  of  them  into  the  bargain. 

Whenever  Mrs.  Petz  came  home  the 
young  ones  would  bitterly  complain  how  a 
little  Hare  had  been  there  making  game  of 
them.  At  this  old  Petz  waxed  very  angry, 
and  growled,  "Just  wait  once,  wait,  Mas- 
ter Lampe!  I'll  catch  you  yet  and  fling 
you  into  a  hole." 

So  Mrs.  Petz  hid  herself  in  the  back  of 
the  den,  and  sure  enough  along  came  Mas- 
ter Lampe  and  began  to  tease  the  young 
bears.  No  sooner  did  Mrs.  Petz  hear  him 
than  she  sprang  upon  him  from  her  hiding- 
place.  But,  quick  as  lightning,  Lampe  was 
off  in  the  woods,  with  Mrs.  Petz  after  him. 
Lampe  fled  through  bush  and  brier,  Petz 
always  close  upon  his  heels. 

At  last  Lampe  sprang  through  a  cloven 
tree  and  Petz  followed  him.  Unluckily  she 
stuck  fast  in  the  narrow  cleft  and,  do  what 
40 


THE  MAN,  THE  HARE,  THE  FOX,  THE  BEAR 

she  would,  she  could  not  escape  from  her 
prison. 

Presently  a  Man  came  along,  and  Mrs. 
Petz  implored  him  thus: 

"Ah,  Man,  do  set  me  free!  I  know 
where  there  is  a  hollow  tree  full  of  honey 
in  the  forest;  you  could  bring  a  great  cask 
and  fill  it  as  full  as  you  like." 

"Are  you  telling  the  honest  truth?" 
asked  the  Man. 

"  The  honest  truth,"  replied  Mrs.  Petz. 
"  I  can  make  you  rich  in  honey,  and  all  I 
have  to  say  is  to  give  you  this  warning: 
Never,  if  you  love  your  own  life,  do  you 
tell  a  living  soul  how  a  miserable  little  Hare 
made  a  fool  of  a  strong  She-bear." 

The  Man  promised  her,  trust  and  true, 
and  lifting  his  axe  he  struck  a  blow  at  the 
cloven  tree.  The  tree  fell  apart,  Petz  was 
again  free,  and  she  at  once  led  the  Man  to 
the  honey-tree.  The  Man  returned  home, 
yoked  up  his  oxen,  put  a  cask  in  the  cart, 
41 


THE  MAN,  THE  HARE,  THE  FOX,  THE  BEAR 

and  went  to  the  wood  for  the  honey. 
When  he  had  filled  the  cask  he  returned 
home. 

Meantime  it  had  grown  dark,  and  Petz 
crept  noiselessly  behind  the  cart  and 
crouched  down  under  the  peasant's  window, 
saying  to  herself,  "  Just  wait,  you  fellow, 
till  I  listen  a  little!" 

The  Man  brought  the  cask  of  honey  into 
the  house,  and  the  children,  seeing  the  prize, 
crowded  around  the  father  with  questions. 
"O  little  father,  where  did  you  get  that 
honey? " 

"  I  found  it  in  the  forest,  dear  children." 

Then  the  wife  put  in  her  word.  "  Tell 
me,  father,  how  did  you  come  by  so  much 
honey? " 

And  the  Man  replied,  "  Oh,  don't  bother 
me!  It  was  an  old  trotter  of  a  Bear  that 
was  chasing  a  little  Hare  and  got  stuck  fast 
in  the  cleft  of  a  tree.  Then  I  came  along 
and  helped  her  out  of  the  scrape,  and  for 
42 


THE  MAN,  THE  HARE,  THE  FOX,  THE  BEAR 

thanks  she  showed  me  the  hollow  tree  where 
the  honey  was.  So  I  brought  it  home.  But 
it  served  her  right,  the  lazy  old  fat  tramper; 
what  business  had  she  chasing  a  Hare? " 

Mrs.  Petz  did  not  lose  a  word  of  all  this, 
and  she  growled  to  herself,  "  Just  wait  once, 
wait!  I'll  be  even  with  you  with  a  ven- 
geance for  jeering  at  me." 

She  went  away  home,  and  presently  the 
Man,  wife,  and  children  all  went  to  bed. 
Early  next  morning  the  Man  got  up  and 
went  out  to  till  his  field.  He  yoked  his 
oxen,  filled  a  sack  with  grain,  put  it  and  a 
plough  into  the  cart,  and  with  a  "  Gee-up, 
you  oxen! "  set  out  for  his  field,  which  lay 
on  the  edge  of  the  forest.  He  was  just 
about  to  begin  ploughing  when  Mrs.  Petz 
came  along. 

"  Oho,  cousin,  so  there  you  are!    Didn't 

you  promise  me,  trust  and  true,  not  to  say 

a  word  to  mortal  soul  of  what  had  happened 

to  me,  and  didn't  you  go  home  and  tell  the 

43 


THE  MAN,  THE  HARE,  THE  FOX,  THE  BEAR 

whole  story  to  your  wife  and  children? 
Hey? " 

But  the  Man  replied,  "  Friend,  what  an 
idea!  I  haven't  said  a  word  to  any  one." 

"Silence!"  interrupted  the  Bear.  "I 
was  listening  under  your  window." 

Then  the  Man  thought  to  himself,  "  Well, 
the  cat  is  out  of  the  bag,  sure  enough.  She 
knows  the  whole  story." 

"  And  now,"  said  Mrs.  Petz,  "  it  is  all  up 
with  you." 

Now  little  Master  Reinecke  was  listening 
to  all  this,  and  he  rustled  in  the  bushes  with 
his  tail,  and  cried: 

Man,  Man! 

Wit  in  the  head 

And  a  club  in  the  hand! 

For,  in  fact,  the  moujik  had  a  mighty 
ox-goad  in  his  hand,  and  he  stood  there 
quaking  with  fear  of  the  enraged  She-bear, 
and  trying  to  contrive  how  he  should  get 


THE  MAN,  THE  HARE,  THE  FOX,  THE  BEAR 

out  of  the  scrape.    Reinecke  never  stopped 
crying: 

Man,  Man! 

Wit  in  the  head 

And  a  club  in  the  hand ! 

At  this  a  bright  thought  struck  the  Man, 
and  he  resolved  to  try  his  luck.  So  he 
poured  the  grain  from  his  sack  upon  the 
ground  and  said  to  Petz: 

"  I  am  a  pious  Christian  and  have  not  yet 
prepared  for  death,  either  by  confession  or 
penance.  So  do  you,  Mrs.  Petz,  step  into 
this  sack,  and  as  penance  for  all  my  sins  I 
will  carry  you  around  the  field,  heavy  as 
you  are.  When  I  have  gone  around  the 
field  two  or  three  times  with  you  on  my 
back,  you  may  do  with  me  what  you 
like." 

"  Gracious  Heaven,"  cried  Mrs.  Petz, 
"how  high  I  shall  hold  my  head  when 
people  say  that  a  man  carried  me  around 
45 


THE  MAN,  THE  HARE,  THE  FOX,  THE  BEAR 

upon  his  shoulders!  "  But  scarcely  had  she 
crawled  into  the  sack  when  the  Man  tied  it 
up  tight  and  belabored  her  head  with  his 
ox-goad  until  she  gave  up  the  ghost. 

Then  Reinecke  stepped  up  to  the  Man 
and  asked,  "  And  what  am  I  to  get,  Man, 
for  the  good  counsel  I  gave  you? " 

"  What  shall  I  give  you?  "  asked  the  Man. 
"  WiU  you  have  geese?  " 

"  No." 

"  Ducks? " 

"  No." 

"Hens?" 

"  No." 

"  Then  what  the  mischief  do  you  want? " 

"  I  want  to  bite  off  your  nose." 

At  this  the  man  thought  to  himself, 
"What  the  dickens!  How  should  I  look 
going  around  without  a  nose? " 

Cold  sweat  broke  out  all  over  him,  and 
he  cried  aloud  in  agony.  Reinecke  heard 
him,  and  said,  "  Oho,  what  does  this  mean?  " 
46 


Step  into  this  sack,,  .   .   .   and  I  will  carry  you  around  the  field 


THE  MAN,  THE  HARE,  THE  FOX,  THE  BEAR 

The  Man  gave  a  second  and  a  third  cry; 
it  startled  the  Master,  and  he  asked,  "  Now 
what's  all  this  about? " 

"Oh,  nothing,"  replied  the  Man;  "only 
last  evening  I  fed  nine  hunting-dogs,  and 
they  are  trying  with  all  their  might  to  get 
out!" 

But  Reinecke  interrupted  him:  "The 
cuckoo  take  your  nose  and  all  the  rest  of 
you,  only  don't  let  your  hunting-dogs  come 
out  here  until  I  have  put  my  hide  in  safety!  " 
And  away  he  went,  across  lots  and  out  of 
sight. 

So  the  Man  saved  his  nose,  and  full  of 
joy  he  went  home  that  night,  carrying  Petz 
with  him. 

"  Master  Reinecke  wasn't  so  clever  that 
time,"  said  the  little  boy. 

"  He  is  not  always  clever,"  said  the  grand- 
mother.   "  But  he  was  very  clever  when  he 
took  revenge  on  Isegrim." 
47 


THE  MAN,  THE  HARE,  THE  FOX,  THE  BEAR 

"Oh,  tell  me  that,  tell  me  that!"  cried 
the  little  boy. 

"  Not  now,"  said  the  grandmother.  "  Did 
I  not  tell  you  that  I  had  not  done  my  stint 
of  spinning?  Come  this  evening  after  sup- 
per and  I  will  tell  you.  Now  run  away 
home." 


48 


CHAPTER   VI 

AFTER   SUPPER 

THE  little  boy  could  hardly  eat  at  sup- 
per-time, and  as  soon  as  possible  he 
ran  to  his  grandmother's  room.  She  was 
knitting  in  the  dark,  for  the  stock  of  can- 
dles was  getting  low,  and  she  could  knit 
without  looking. 

"  Have  you  come  for  the  story? "  she 
asked.  "  I  was  expecting  you." 

So  the  little  boy  climbed  to  his  place  on 
the  stove,  and  the  grandmother  began  the 
story  of 

REINECKE'S  REVENGE  ON  ISEGRIM 

Once  upon  a  time  Reinecke  kneaded  mud- 
cakes,  baked  them,  and  spread  them  with 
honey.  When  they  were  all  ready  he  be- 

49 


REINECKE'S  REVENGE  ON  ISEGRIM 

took  himself  to  the  turkey-tenders  and 
begged  them  to  give  him  a  turkey  in  ex- 
change for  his  honey-cakes.  The  turkey- 
tenders  were  not  to  be  so  easily  hoaxed,  and 
they  sent  him  to  the  swine-herds,  assuring 
him  that  the  swine-herds  would  give  him  a 
sucking  pig  for  his  honey-cakes. 

He  therefore  sought  the  swine-herds  and 
begged  for  a  sucking  pig  in  exchange  for 
his  cakes.  The  swine-herds  would  give  him 
none,  but  sent  him  to  the  cow-herds,  who 
might  give  him  a  calf  in  exchange  for  the 
cakes.  So  he  went  to  the  cow-herds  and 
begged  them  to  give  him  a  calf  and  take 
his  honey-cakes  in  exchange. 

The  cow-herds  declined,  and  sent  him  to 
the  stable-boys,  who  would  surely  give  him 
a  colt  in  exchange  for  the  honey-cakes.  So 
he  went  to  the  stable-boys  and  offered  to 
exchange  his  honey-cakes  for  a  colt.  They 
gave  him  a  beautiful  colt  and  took  in  ex- 
change the  honey-cakes.  So  Reinecke  went 
50 


REINECKE'S  REVENGE  ON  ISEGRIM 

away,  leading  the  colt,  and  leaving  with  the 
stable-boys  a  strict  injunction  on  no  account 
to  break  one  of  the  cakes  until  he  should 
have  disappeared  behind  a  certain  hill. 

The  stable-boys  obeyed  the  behest,  but 
when  they  afterward  tried  the  cakes  and 
broke  their  teeth  upon  them,  they  perceived 
that  they  were  made  of  clay,  and  they  at 
once  set  off  in  pursuit  of  the  Fox.  But 
Master  Reinecke  had  so  much  the  start  of 
them  that  they  were  obliged  to  turn  back, 
weary  and  overheated,  having  had  their 
trouble  for  their  pains. 

Now  when  Reinecke  reached  home  he 
made  a  stall  of  wicker-work  for  the  colt,  and 
devoted  himself  entirely  to  the  care  of  him. 
Day  after  day  he  brought  him  green,  juicy 
grass  and  cool,  refreshing  drink,  and  when- 
ever he  brought  them  he  always  called  to 
the  colt  in  these  words: 


51 


REINECKE'S  REVENGE  ON  ISEGRIM 

O  colt,  tender  little  colt, 

Open  the  door  for  me ! 
Juicy  grass  and  cooling  drink 

Bring  I  here  for  thee! 

Then  the  colt  would  open  the  door.  Rei- 
necke  gave  the  colt  very  strict  instructions 
on  no  account  to  open  the  door  to  any  other 
voice  or  words. 

One  day  Isegrim  came.  He  had  often 
heard  Reinecke  call  to  the  colt  to  open  the 
door,  and  now  he  began  to  call  in  his  coarse 
voice: 

O  colt,  tender  little  colt, 

Open  the  door  for  me ! 
Juicy  grass  and  cooling  drink 

Bring  I  here  for  thee ! 

But  the  colt  at  once  perceived  that  this 
was  not  Reinecke's  voice,  and  it  did  not  stir 
to  open  the  door. 

Then  Isegrim  hid  himself  cunningly  be- 
52 


REINECKE'S  REVENGE  ON  ISEGRIM 

hind  the  stable-wall  to  wait  for  a  better 
chance. 

Pretty  soon  along  came  Reinecke  with 
grass  and  water.  As  soon  as  he  reached  the 
stable  he  cried  in  his  soft  treble  voice: 

O  colt,  tender  little  colt, 

Open  the  door  for  me! 
Juicy  grass  and  cooling  drink 

Bring  I  here  for  thee! 

The  colt  recognized  the  voice,  opened  the 
door  at  once,  and  began  to  tell  how  some  one 
had  been  there  and  asked  him  to  open  the 
door,  but  he  had  not  opened  because  the 
voice  sounded  rough.  Upon  this  Reinecke 
said,  "  On  no  account  open  the  door  to  a 
rough  voice,  but  only  to  a  soft  one." 

The  next  day,  when  Reinecke  was  gone, 
along  came  Isegrim,  who  had  overheard  the 
whole  conversation  from  behind  the  stable- 
wall.  He  crouched  down  as  low  as  possible, 
and  cried,  in  a  very  soft  voice: 
53 


REINECKE'S  REVENGE  ON  ISEGRIM 

O  colt,  tender  little  colt, 

Open  the  door  for  me ! 
Juicy  grass  and  cooling  drink 

Bring  I  here  for  theei 

The  unhappy  colt  was  deceived  and 
opened  the  door.  Alas!  Isegrim  fell  upon 
him,  seized  him  by  the  throat,  and  ate  him 
up — all  but  the  head  and  the  tail,  which  he 
left  lying  there.  Then  he  made  off,  having 
closed  the  door  behind  him,  that  nothing 
might  be  seen  from  without. 

When  Reinecke  came  home  he  began  to 
call,  as  usual: 

O  colt,  tender  little  colt, 

Open  the  door  for  me ! 
Juicy  grass  and  cooling  drink 

Bring  I  here  for  thee ! 

But  no  one  asked  him  in  nor  opened  the 
door.  So  he  peeped  in  between  the  osiers, 
and  when  he  saw  nothing  in  the  stall  but 
the  colt's  head  and  tail  he  knew  all  that  had 

54 


REINECKE'S  REVENGE  ON  ISEGRIM 

happened  and  had  not  the  least  doubt  as  to 
who  had  brought  this  great  misfortune  upon 
him.  He  tore  the  door  open  and  set  up  a 
long,  woe-begone  howl.  Then  he  went  out 
quite  heart-broken  and  laid  himself  down  in 
the  road  for  dead. 

After  a  while  a  man  came  by  in  a  wagon, 
and  finding  Reinecke  in  the  road  he  picked 
him  up  and  threw  him  into  the  wagon,  in- 
tending to  strip  off  his  skin  as  soon  as  he 
reached  home.  Now  this  man  had  three 
cheeses  in  a  knapsack  in  his  wagon,  and 
presently  Reinecke  roused  himself  from  his 
feigned  death,  arose  softly,  stole  the  three 
cheeses  out  of  the  knapsack,  and  made  off. 
As  soon  as  he  had  reached  a  safe  distance 
he  devoured  two  of  the  cheeses  and  went  on 
his  way,  holding  the  third  under  his  chin. 

In  the  course  of  his  travels  he  met  friend 

Isegrim,  who  had  eaten  his  beloved  colt. 

Isegrim  no  sooner  saw  Reinecke  with  the 

cheese  than  his  mouth  began  to  water,  and 

55 


REINECKE'S  REVENGE  ON  ISEGRIM 

he  asked  him  how  he  had  corne  by  it.  Then 
Reinecke,  truthful  as  usual,  replied  that  he 
had  sucked  it  up  out  of  a  brook. 

"  And  where  may  that  brook  be  found?  " 
asked  Isegrim  hastily. 

"Follow  me,"  answered  Reinecke;  "I 
will  lead  you  to  it." 

Now  it  happened  that  this  meeting  took 
place  at  the  full  of  the  moon,  about  mid- 
night, and  a  beautiful,  star-bestrewn  sky 
shed  a  magical  half -darkness  over  every- 
thing. Reinecke  led  Isegrim  to  a  brook 
and,  showing  him  the  reflection  of  the  moon 
mirrored  in  the  flowing  water,  said: 

"  Do  you  see  that  great  cheese  there  in 
the  water?  Now  suck  up  the  water  in  great 
gulps  and  you  will  suck  up  the  cheese  at 
last,  just  as  I  did." 

So  simple  Isegrim  sucked  up  the  water 
in  great  gulps,  until  it  began  to  run  out  at 
his  ears.    Reinecke  very  kindly  plugged  up 
his  ears  and  cried  to  him: 
56 


REINECKE'S  REVENGE   ON  ISEGRIM 

"Keep  on  sucking,  dear  Isegrim;  you'll 
soon  have  it! " 

Simple  Isegrim  went  at  it  again,  and 
sucked  until  the  water  ran  out  of  his  eyes. 
At  once  Reinecke  stopped  up  his  eyes,  cry- 
ing again: 

"  Keep  on,  dear  Isegrim,  you'll  soon  have 
it  now!" 

Poor  Isegrim  sucked  on,  until  the  water 
ran  out  at  his  nose.  Then  Reinecke  stopped 
up  his  nose  and  climbed  upon  his  back,  say- 
ing he  was  sick  and  could  not  walk,  and 
Isegrim  must  carry  him. 

The  Wolf,  in  very  woful  plight,  set  out 
to  carry  the  Fox,  when  Reinecke  tuned  up 
and  sang: 

The  sick  is  carrying  the  well ! 
The  sick  is  carrying  the  well! 

And  he  kept  on  repeating  the  same  words 
until  Isegrim  asked: 

"  What's  that  you're  singing,  cousin?  " 
57 


REINECKE'S  REVENGE  ON  ISEGRIM 

"Nothing,  nothing,  dear  Isegrim;  they 
are  only  the  fantasies  of  illness ! "  and  he 
kept  up  his  song: 

The  sick  is  carrying  the  well! 
The  sick  is  carrying  the  well! 

So  it  went  on  till  they  came  to  a  house 
where  a  wedding  was  being  celebrated. 
When  the  wedding-guests  heard  Reinecke's 
song  they  came  out  of  the  house  and  praised 
his  singing.  Thereupon  he  said  that  he 
could  sing  a  better  song  than  that  if  they 
would  let  him  go  into  the  house  and  up  into 
the  loft.  To  this  they  agreed. 

When  Isegrim,  with  all  the  trouble  in  the 
world,  had  carried  Reinecke  up  into  the 
loft,  which  was  floored  only  with  loose 
planks,  then  Reinecke  opened  all  the  places 
he  had  plugged  up,  and  the  water  ran  out 
of  Isegrim's  eyes  and  ears  and  nose  and 
poured  down  through  the  cracks  upon  the 
wedding-guests  below.  The  guests  ran  nim- 
58 


REINECKE'S  REVENGE  ON  ISEGRIM 

bly  up  into  the  loft,  but  Reinecke  still  more 
nimbly  made  his  escape  through  the  win- 
dow, while  Isegrim  was  half -beaten  to  death 
by  the  enraged  wedding-guests  and  his  body 
thrown  out  into  the  road. 

Then  Reinecke  came  creeping  back  and 
taunted  Isegrim.  "  This  long  time  I  have 
been  wearing  out  shoe-leather  to  get  the 
best  of  you,  because  you  ate  up  my  colt!  " 

And  with  these  words  away  he  went, 
leaving  Isegrim  to  his  fate. 

'  That  served  Isegrim  right,"  said  the  lit- 
tle boy.  "  He  had  no  business  to  eat  up 
Reinecke's  little  colt." 


59 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE   SNOWY   DAY 

THE  grandmother  sat  in  her  room  spin- 
ning, and  singing  a  sad  little  song. 
Grandmother's  songs  were  always  sad,  for 
that  is  the  way  with  the  songs  of  the  Rus- 
sian peasant  women,  whose  lives  are  very 
hard.  But  the  little  boy  had  never  heard 
any  other  kind,  and  he  was  very  fond  of 
hearing  his  grandmother  sing.  He  was 
lying  on  the  stove,  watching  her  spin,  for  it 
was  still  snowing,  and  he  was  tired  of  play- 
ing alone  in  the  court.  The  snow  was  so 
deep  now  that  none  of  the  mothers  would 
let  their  little  children  go  into  the  street. 
The  big  children  were  all  at  work.  Only 
little  children  play  every  day  in  Russia. 
The  big  children  work,  except  on  holidays. 
60 


THE  BIRD,  THE  FOX,  AND  THE  DOG 

"  Do  you  know  any  more  stories  about 
Master  Reinecke,  little  grandma?  "  the  lit- 
tle boy  finally  asked. 

"  Perhaps  I  do,"  replied  the  grandmother. 
"  Let  me  see;  did  I  ever  tell  you  about 

"THE  BIRD,  THE  FOX,  AND  THE  DOG?" 

"  No,"  said  the  little  boy.  "  Do  tell  that, 
please! " 

So  the  grandmother  began: 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  Bird  which 
built  her  nest  in  a  hedge,  laid  her  eggs 
there,  and  began  to  brood  over  them.  Now 
a  little  Fox  got  wind  of  the  matter,  and  he 
thought  to  himself,  "Aha!  there's  a  fine 
breakfast  for  me !  "  So  he  left  the  Bird  to 
brood  over  her  eggs,  waiting  for  the  time 
when  the  young  ones  should  hatch  out. 

When  that  time  came  he  paid  a  visit  to 
the  Bird,  which  was  singing  gayly  in  the 
hedge,  and  said  to  her: 
61 


THE  BIRD,  THE  FOX,  AND  THE  DOG 

"  Good-morning,  dear  cousin.  Oh,  how 
beautiful  you  are  and  how  sweet  is  your 
songl  But  still  more  enticing  are  your 
young  ones  in  the  nest,  and  I  mean  to  eat 
them  up! " 

The  little  Bird  answered,  smiling,  "  Ah, 
ah,  you  are  not  as  clever  as  I  thought  you, 
if  you  are  thinking  of  eating  these  tiny 
birds!  They  would  not  make  you  a  mouth- 
ful. Just  wait  awhile  till  they  are  grown; 
then  come,  and  you  may  eat  both  them 
and  me." 

So  the  Bird  appointed  a  day,  and  Rei- 
necke  went  off  in  high  glee,  whistling 
merrily. 

In  the  meantime  the  Bird  went  to  a 
Dog  and  promised  him  a  delicious  meal — 
nothing  other  than  Reinecke,  in  fact — tell- 
ing him  that  he  had  nothing  to  do  but  hide 
in  the  bushes  on  the  appointed  day,  and  he 
could  easily  master  the  Master.  The  Dog 
smiled  blissfully  at  the  news,  saying: 
62 


THE  BIRD,  THE  FOX,  AND  THE  DOG 

"  This  is  what  I  call  a  stroke  of  luck! 
I'll  tell  you  what,  little  Bird,  I'll  hide  in 
the  bushes,  and  when  Reinecke  comes,  do 
you  beg  him  to  let  you  sing  one  last  song. 
Then  perch  yourself  on  a  twig  and  sing 
out  loud  and  clear.  That  shall  be  the  sig- 
nal for  me,  and  I  will  spring  out  of  my 
ambush,  and — snap! — all  will  be  over  with 
Master  Reinecke." 

When  the  appointed  day  arrived  Reinecke 
came  gleefully  along,  trolling  this  lay: 

"  Fat  little  birds  are  right  good  cheer, 
So  here  I  am,  my  Gossip  dear! 

Well,  Gossip,  how  goes  it? " 

"  As  well  as  possible,"  answered  the  little 
Bird.  "  What  I  have  promised  I  will  per- 
form; I  have  only  one  last  boon  to  crave: 
let  me  sing  my  favorite  song  just  once 
more! " 

"  Sing  away,  for  all  I  care,"  answered 
Reinecke;  "  only  make  it  short." 
63 


THE  BIRD,  THE  FOX,  AND  THE  DOG 

So  the  little  Bird  perched  herself  upon  a 
twig  and  began  her  song.  In  a  twinkling 
the  Dog  rushed  out  upon  Reinecke,  but  the 
Master  was  on  the  alert  and  took  to  flight, 
with  the  Dog  close  upon  his  heels.  At  last 
Reinecke  took  refuge  in  a  hole,  while  the 
Dog  hid  himself  at  the  entrance,  keeping 
up  a  sharp  lookout. 

Then  Reinecke  began  to  talk  to  himself, 
and  said  to  his  feet: 

"  Well,  my  fine  feet,  how  have  you  got 
on?" 

"Finely,"  answered  the  feet;  "we  did 
our  very  best  to  outrun  the  Dog." 

"Good,  good!  You  deserve  all  praise! 
And  you,  my  good  ears,  how  did  you  be- 
have yourselves? " 

"  Very  well ;  we  listened  most  intently  to 
know  whether  that  dreadful  Dog  was  close 
behind  us." 

"  Good!  That  was  gallant!  And  how 
did  you  behave,  my  dear,  sweet  eyes? " 


THE  BIRD,  THE  FOX,  AND  THE  DOG 

"  Oh,  we  spied  around  in  every  direction 
to  discover  the  first  hole! " 

"  Bravo!  That  was  good  of  you."  Then 
Reinecke  looked  at  his  long  tail  and  asked: 

"  And  how  is  it  with  you,  my  beautiful, 
long,  bushy  tail?  " 

And  the  tail  answered,  "Very  badly;  I 
am  your  steering  rudder,  and  you  rushed 
along  so  unmercifully,  dragging  me  through 
bush  and  brier,  that  I  am  miserably  scratched 
and  torn.  Really,  I  should  not  have  been 
worse  off  if  the  Dog  had  caught  me." 

"  Aha!  "  cried  Reinecke,  in  high  displeas- 
ure, "  so  you  are  my  open  enemy,  are  you? 
All  the  others  are  faithful;  you  alone 
would  willingly  have  betrayed  me.  Out 
with  you,  out,  my  declared  foe!  You  shall 
no  longer  stay  under  the  same  roof  with 
ine!" 

So  Reinecke  thrust  his  tail  out  of  the  hole. 
Snap! — the  Dog  had  it  between  his  teeth, 
dragged  the  Fox  out  of  his  retreat,  tore  him 
65 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  DOVE 

in  pieces,  and  was  thus  rewarded  for  all  his 
trouble.  And  the  little  birds  were  rid  of 
their  enemy. 

"  It  was  not  nice  of  Reinecke  to  want  to 
eat  little  birds,"  said  the  little  boy.  "I 
think  he  deserved  to  be  punished." 

"  He  got  off  without  punishment  another 
time,"  observed  the  grandmother. 

"  How  was  that? "  asked  the  little  boy 
eagerly.  "Won't  you  tell  me  that  story? 
Do!  It  is  not  supper-time." 

"  No,  it  is  not  supper-time,  and  the  story 
is  a  short  one,"  said  the  grandmother.  "  So 
I  will  tell  you  about 


"THE  FOX  AND  THE  DOVE" 


Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  Dove  which 
built  her  nest  in  a  high  tree.  Every  year, 
about  the  time  when  her  young  ones  were 
beginning  to  get  feathers,  Reinecke  would 
come  along  and  say  to  the  Dove: 
66 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  DOVE 

"  Give  me  your  young  ones  to  eat;  throw 
them  down  to  me  of  your  own  accord,  or  I 
will  gobble  you  up  as  well  as  them! " 

The  Dove,  frightened  at  the  threat,  would 
throw  down  the  young  birds.  Thus  it  had 
happened  year  after  year. 

Now  one  day,  as  the  Dove  sat  most  mel- 
ancholy upon  her  nest,  a  Great  Bird  flew 
up  and  asked  why  she  was  so  sad  and  down- 
cast. And  the  Dove  answered  that  it  was 
because  Reinecke  would  soon  come  and  eat 
up  her  young  ones. 

Upon  this  the  Great  Bird  replied,  "  Oh, 
you  goose!  Why  do  you  throw  them  down 
to  him?  Just  bid  your  good  friend  to  please 
give  himself  the  trouble  to  come  after  them. 
Then  you'll  soon  see  him  sneak  away  with 
his  tail  between  his  legs,  for  Reinecke  can- 
not climb  a  tree." 

So  when  the  time  came  round  and  Rei- 
necke again  presented  himself,  the  Dove 
said  to  him,  "  If  you  want  meat  for  dinner, 
67 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  DOVE 

just  be  so  kind  as  to  come  up  and  help 
yourself." 

When  the  Fox  saw  that  he  must  go 
away  empty  he  asked  the  Dove  who  had 
counselled  her  to  speak  thus,  and  she  an- 
swered : 

'  That  Great  Bird  that  has  a  nest  yon- 
der near  the  stream." 

Reinecke  at  once  betook  himself  to  the 
stream  and  remonstrated  with  that  Great 
Bird  for  building  his  nest  in  so  exposed  a 
place,  asking  what  he  did  in  case  of  a  high 
wind. 

The  Great  Bird  answered,  "When  the 
wind  blows  from  the  right  I  turn  to  the  left ; 
when  it  blows  from  the  left  I  turn  to  the 
right." 

"  But  what  do  you  do  when  it  blows  from 
all  sides? "  asked  the  Fox. 

"  Then  I  stick  my  head  under  my  wing," 
said  the  Great  Bird,  showing  how  he  did 
it.  But  quick  as  a  wink,  when  the  Great 
68 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  DOVE 

Bird  stuck  his  head  under  his  wing,  the 
Master  sprang  upon  him  and  seized  him, 
saying : 

1  You  know  how  to  give  counsel  to  others, 
but  not  to  advise  yourself!  " 

So  he  ate  him  up. 

The  little  boy  pondered  this  story  for  a 
while.  At  last  he  said,  "  Grandmother,  why 
did  that  Great  Bird  say  that  Reinecke  could 
not  climb  a  tree?  He  has  climbed  a  tree  a 
great  many  times." 

'  This  one  was  not  a  story  of  this  mir," 
replied  the  grandmother.  "  It  is  a  story 
from  another  mir,  where  my  mother's  moth- 
er was  born.  The  foxes  there  are  different." 


69 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE  ELECTION   MEETING 

r  I  iHERE  were  many  men  gathered  in 
-•-  the  little  boy's  house,  for  the  time  of 
the  zemstvo  was  drawing  near,  and  the  men 
of  the  village  must  choose  one  of  their  num- 
ber to  go  away  to  the  large  city  which  was 
the  capital  of  the  district  to  help  make  laws 
for  the  district.  That  is  what  the  zemstvo 
is  for.  The  noblemen  go,  of  course,  and 
every  village  chooses  one  villager  to  go. 

They  met  in  the  little  boy's  house  to 
choose  their  delegate,  partly  because  the 
little  boy's  father  was  starosta,  and  partly 
because  his  house  was  the  largest.  Though 
they  were  many,  there  was  room  for  them 
all  on  the  bench  of  masonry  that  ran  around 
the  four  walls  of  the  room,  and  was  covered 
70 


THE  ELECTION  MEETING 

in  the  most  honorable  places  with  bright 
calico.  It  was  a  very  cold  day,  and  the 
bench  was  as  far  as  possible  from  the  stove, 
but  they  were  not  cold,  for  the  chinks  be- 
tween the  upright  boards  which  made  the 
walls  of  the  starostafs  house  were  well 
stopped  with  tow,  and,  besides,  the  men  all 
had  on  their  warm  kaftans,  or  over-blouses, 
and  their  fur-lined  boots. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  talking,  and 
the  little  boy's  mother  and  sisters  were  very 
busy  with  the  samovar,  making  tea  and 
handing  it  round.  They  had  to  be  very- 
careful  to  keep  the  water  in  the  samovar 
boiling  madly,  for  tea  is  not  good  unless  it 
scalds  your  mouth.  At  least  so  they  think 
in  the  little  boy's  village. 

The  little  boy  had  been  told  that  he  must 
keep  very  still;  but  it  is  as  hard  to  keep  a 
little  Russian  boy  still  as  a  little  American 
boy,  for  both  are  very  fond  of  play.  The 
little  boy  did  not  find  it  amusing,  and 
71 


THE  ELECTION  MEETING 

presently  he  crept  very  quietly  toward  the 
door. 

'  Where  are  you  going? "  asked  his 
mother. 

'  To  see  grandmamma,"  answered  the 
little  boy. 

"  Be  careful  not  to  disturb  her;  she  is 
busy,"  said  the  mother. 

The  little  boy  ran  quickly  out  of  the  room. 

The  grandmother  was  indeed  busy.  She 
had  her  short  skirt  turned  back,  a  short- 
handled  broom  of  twigs  in  her  hand,  a  great 
earthen  jar  of  water  beside  her,  and  she  was 
hard  at  work  scrubbing  the  floor. 

'  Wipe  your  feet  very  clean,"  she  said, 
"  and  don't  bring  dirt  upon  my  nice  floor." 

The  little  boy  wiped  his  feet  very  clean, 
and  tiptoed  across  to  the  stove.  It  was 
really  quite  amusing  to  watch  his  grand- 
mother scrub,  especially  when  the  water 
made  little  pools  in  the  hollows,  worn  by 
many  years  of  walking  over  the  clay  floor, 
72 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  HEDGEHOG 

and  she  had  to  flirt  it  out  'with  little  whisks 
of  the  broom.  He  watched  her  very  quietly 
until  she  had  shaken  out  her  broom  and 
emptied  the  jar  into  a  great  tub  in  the  court. 
Then  she  came  back  and  sank  heavily  into 
her  chair,  saying: 

"Ouf!  little  grandmother  is  tired!" 

'  Too  tired  to  spin,  little  grandma! "  ex- 
claimed the  little  boy  eagerly. 

The  grandmother  smiled.  "  But  not  too 
tired  for  a  story — is  that  what  the  little  boy 
means? " 

"Oh,  you're  not,  you're  not!"  cried  the 
little  boy  gleefully. 

"  Listen  then,  and  I  will  tell  you  about 

"THE  FOX  AND  THE  HEDGEHOG" 

A  Hedgehog  met  Master  Reinecke  in  a 
field,  and  said  to  him,  "  Hello,  Master! 
Whither  .away? " 

"Oh,  I'm  just  loafing  around!"  an- 
swered the  Fox. 

73 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  HEDGEHOG 

'  Tell  me,  now,"  said  Reinecke  after  a 
while  to  the  Hedgehog,  "  how  manifold  is 
your  understanding? " 

'  Threefold,"  answered  the  Hedgehog. 

"  Why,  how  is  that? "  asked  the  Fox. 

'  Why,  you  see,  I  have  one  sense  above, 
one  below,  and  the  third  everywhere,"  re- 
plied the  Hedgehog ;  and  added,  "  And  how 
manifold  is  your  understanding? " 

"  Oh,  mine  is  seventy-sevenfold,"  an- 
swered the  Fox. 

"  Well,  weU!  "  said  the  Hedgehog. 

Thereupon  they  walked  along  through 
the  fields,  and  so  eagerly  were  they  talking 
that  they  gave  no  heed  to  the  way,  and  pres- 
ently stumbled  into  a  Wolf's  den.  Then 
was  good  counsel  precious!  How  should 
they  ever  get  out  of  this  scrape? 

Said  Reinecke  to  the  Hedgehog,  "  Come 
now,  search  around  in  your  head-piece  for  a 
means  of  getting  out  of  this  pickle." 

"  I  should  have  done  that  before,"  an- 
74 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  HEDGEHOG 

swered  the  Hedgehog,  "  but  I  was  afraid 
that  by  and  by  you  would  curse  me.  How 
shall  I,  a  little  Hedgehog,  with  only  a 
threefold  understanding,  devise  anything 
better  than  you,  who  have  a  seventy-seven- 
fold understanding? " 

However,  after  talking  back  and  forth  a 
long  time,  the  Hedgehog  made  this  sugges- 
tion, "  Say,  Reinecke,  just  seize  me  by  the 
ear  and  throw  me  up  out  of  the  den,  because 
I  am  the  smaller." 

"  Yes,  but  how  shall  I  get  out?  " 

"  Oh,  just  stick  up  your  tail  and  I  will 
pull  you  out!" 

So  Reinecke  seized  the  Hedgehog  by  the 
ear  and  tossed  him  up  out  of  the  den.  Then 
he  called  upon  him  to  keep  his  word. 
"  Hello  there,  Gossip,  now  pull  me  out! " 

"  Do    you    know    what,"    answered    the 

Hedgehog,    "  I'll  tell   you   something.     I 

have  only  a  threefold  understanding,  and 

yet  I  found  a  way  of  helping  myself.    Now 

75 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  HEDGEHOG 

do  you  help  yourself  with  your  seventy- 
sevenfold  understanding." 

By  this  time  a  moujik  came  along,  and 
finding  the  Fox  in  the  den  he  made  short 
work  with  him.  But  the  Hedgehog  crept 
away  through  the  thicket  with  his  threefold 
understanding,  while  Reinecke,  with  all  his 
seventy-sevenfold  understanding,  was  car- 
ried off  by  the  moujik. 

"  Reinecke  was  too  proud  of  himself," 
said  the  little  boy. 

"  It  is  a  great  sin  to  be  proud,"  observed 
the  grandmother.  "  The  pop  said  so  on 
Sunday  in  church." 

There  was  a  pause.  Then  the  little  boy 
said  coaxingly: 

"  You  are  tired  yet,  little  grandmother!  " 

"  It  was  a  short  story,"  replied  the  grand- 
mother, patting  the  little  boy  on  the  shoul- 
der, "  and  grandmother  is  a  little  tired  still. 
She  will  tell  you  the  story  of 
76 


REINECKE  AND  GOCKELING,  THE  COCK 


"MASTER  REESTECKE  AND  GOCKELING,  THE 
COCK  " 


Once  upon  a  time,  Reinecke,  the  Fox, 
met  Gockeling,  the  Cock,  and  said  to  him, 
"  Come,  show  me  how  your  hens  cackle! " 

The  Cock,  quite  willing,  stretched  out  his 
neck  and  began  to  crow,  when  in  a  trice 
Reinecke  pounced  upon  him  and  seized  him 
by  the  throat. 

"O  Reinecke!"  cried  the  Cock,  "first 
give  thanks  to  God,  who  has  sent  you  so 
good  a  meal! " 

And  Reinecke  fell  into  the  Cock's  trap, 
for  he  stood  upon  his  hind  legs  and  began  to 
give  thanks.  Quick  as  thought  the  Cock 
flew  up  into  the  nearest  tree,  and  cried  to 
Reinecke : 

'  Well,  cousin,  how  does  my  fresh  meat 
taste? " 

"  That  was  very  clever  of  the   Cock," 
77 


THE  DISAPPOINTED  BEAR 

said  the  little  boy.  "  But,  grandmother,  I 
don't  think  that  Fox  belonged  to  our  mir, 
for  he  was  not  at  all  clever.  He  must 
have  belonged  to  your  mother's  mother's 


mir." 


"  You  are  perfectly  right,"  replied  the 
grandmother.  *  That  is  a  story  from  her 
mir.  And  as  it  is  a  very  short  story,  I  shall 
tell  you  just  one  more." 

So  the  grandmother  told  the  story  of 

THE  DISAPPOINTED   BEAR 

Once  upon  a  time  a  little  old  woman,  who 
was  walking  in  the  forest,  climbed  up  into 
a  wild-cherry  tree  to  gather  cherries.  Now 
a  Bear  espied  her,  and  he  came  under  the 
tree  and  cried,  "  Come  down,  old  woman, 
that  I  may  eat  you! " 

"  Go  along  with  you! "  answered  the  old 

woman.     "  Why  should  you  eat  a  scrawny 

old  woman  like  me?    Here,  gnaw  upon  my 

shoe  till  I  come  down,  and  I  will  take  you 

78 


THE  DISAPPOINTED  BEAR 

to  my  house ;  I  have  two  little  children  there, 
named  Janko  and  Mirko;  they  will  make 
you  a  right  savory  dish.  So  have  patience 
till  you  get  them." 

So  said  the  little  old  woman  and  threw 
down  one  of  her  shoes.  Master  Petz  gnawed 
and  gnawed  upon  it,  but  the  more  he  gnawed 
the  hungrier  he  grew.  Greatly  enraged,  he 
screamed  up  to  the  old  woman: 

"  Come  down,  you  old  wench,  and  let  me 
eat  you! " 

"  Just  wait  a  little  longer,  till  the  old 
wench  has  gathered  enough  cherries,"  she 
answered.  "  Here,  gnaw  this  other  shoe 
awhile ;  she'll  soon  come  down  and  show  you 
the  way  to  her  house."  So  saying,  she  threw 
down  the  other  shoe. 

When  Petz  found  that  the  second  shoe 
was  no  juicier  than  the  first  he  made  no 
further  effort,  but  contented  himself  with 
thinking  of  the  fat  little  children  at  the  old 
woman's  house.  When  she  had  gathered 
79 


THE  DISAPPOINTED  BEAR 

cherries  enough,  down  she  came  and  went 
home,  the  Bear  tramping  along  behind  her. 

When  they  reached  the  house  the  old 
woman  said,  "  I'll  tell  you  what,  first  let  me 
give  the  children  a  good  supper,  that  they 
may  be  all  the  fatter;  and  meanwhile  do  you 
run  about  till  evening  to  get  up  a  better 
appetite." 

So  Petz  went  away  and  ran  about  in  the 
woods  all  the  rest  of  the  day,  and  at  evening 
he  came  back  to  the  hut. 

"Here  I  am,  little  mother!"  he  cried; 
"  now  bring  out  Janko  and  Mirko,  and  see 
me  polish  them  off.  I  am  starving  to 
death!" 

"Oho!"  answered  the  little  old  woman 
from  within,  "  Janko  has  made  the  door 
fast  with  bolts,  and  I  have  just  put  Mirko 
to  sleep.  I  couldn't  think  of  waking  him. 
And  little  mother  is  so  old  and  weak  that 
she  can't  unbolt  the  door  alone.  Come  some 
other  day." 

80 


THE  DISAPPOINTED  BEAR 

Then  Master  Petz  perceived  that  he  had 
been  fooled,  and  he  walked  reluctantly 
away,  with  drooping  snout  and  an  empty 
stomach. 

"  I'm  glad  he  didn't  get  Janko  and 
Mirko,"  said  the  little  boy. 


81 


CHAPTER   IX 

CAT  AND  DOG 

THE  little  boy  was  playing  in  the  court 
with  the  moujik's  dog  that  helped  to 
guard  the  sheep.  It  was  a  clear,  cold  day, 
but  the  little  boy  was  not  cold,  for  he  had 
on  his  warm  quilted  kaftan,  or  blouse,  his 
cap,  which  he  called  his  chapka,  on  his  head, 
and  on  his  feet  were  sandals  made  of  the 
tough  bark  of  the  linden-tree.  He  was  not 
going  to  risk  frozen  toes  another  time! 

The  sheep-dog  was  old  and  rather  cross, 
but  he  was  always  kind  to  the  little  boy. 
But  when  the  house-cat  followed  the  cow- 
herd woman  out  of  the  house,  where  she  had 
gone  to  carry  some  milk,  the  dog  bristled  up 
and  growled.  The  cat  spat  at  him,  and  this 
was  too  much.  He  sprang  at  her,  but  kitty 
82 


CAT  AND  DOG 

was  too  quick  for  him.  She  flew  across  the 
court  and  scrambled  nimbly  up  to  the  shed 
roof  by  one  of  the  supporting  poles.  The 
dog  was  too  old  and  heavy  to  follow  her, 
and  he  sat  on  his  haunches  in  the  court  be- 
low, bristling  and  snarling,  the  cat  spitting 
back  at  him  and  evidently  enjoying  the  fun. 
The  cow-herd  woman  and  a  moujik  who  was 
at  work  in  the  court  were  laughing  heartily; 
the  little  boy's  brother,  who  was  cutting 
wood  in  the  shed,  came  out  to  see  what  it 
was  all  about.  The  little  boy  was  highly 
excited,  and  he  ran  to  call  his  grandmother 
to  come  and  see. 

But  by  the  time  the  grandmother  had 
risen  slowly  from  her  chair — for  her  rheu- 
matism was  bad  that  day — and  had  gone  to 
the  door,  leaning  on  her  stick,  the  fun  was 
all  over.  The  cat  had  gone  around  to  an- 
other side  of  the  shed,  and  lay  basking  in 
the  sun,  out  of  the  dog's  sight;  the  moujik, 
the  cow-herd  woman,  and  the  little  boy's 
83 


WHY  THE  DOG  CANNOT  ENDURE  THE  CAT 

brother  had  gone  back  to  their  work.  Only 
the  dog  remained,  looking  up  at  the  de- 
serted roof  and  growling  at  nothing. 

The  little  boy  went  with  his  grandmother 
into  the  house. 

"  Grandmamma,"  he  asked,  "  why  does 
the  dog  always  quarrel  with  the  cat? " 

"  My  great-grandmother  told  me  why," 
replied  the  grandmother.  "  I  will  tell  you 
that  story  now,  if  you  like." 

"  Oh,  do,  do! "  cried  the  little  boy. 

"It  is  the  story,"  said  the  grandmother, 
"of 


"  WHY  THE  DOG  CANNOT  ENDURE  THE  CAT, 
NOR  THE   CAT  THE   MOUSE  " 


In  olden  times,  as  my  great-grandmother 
told  me,  dogs  enjoyed  great  freedom,  and 
among  other  privileges  they  had  a  right  to 
all  the  meat  that  fell  from  the  table.  To 
guard  this  right  for  all  time  they  drew  up 
a  manifesto,  and  copied  it  upon  parchment. 
84 


WHY  THE  DOG  CANNOT  ENDURE  THE  CAT 

In  this  manifesto  this  right  was  expressly 
made  known.  For  a  long  time  the  King  of 
the  Dogs  had  charge  of  this  document,  but 
finally  he  confided  it  to  the  care  of  his  pri- 
vate secretary,  the  Tomcat.  And  the  Tom- 
cat carried  the  proclamation  up  into  the 
garret  and  hid  it  behind  a  beam  where  no 
one  could  possibly  find  it. 

Now  it  happened  that  behind  the  beam 
dwelt  a  young  Mouse,  and  on  one  of  his 
walks  he  stumbled  upon  the  roll.  He  tried 
to  drag  it  from  its  hiding-place,  but  the  stiff 
parchment  stuck  fast,  and  he  could  not  pull 
it  out.  But  it  was  quite  within  reach  of  his 
little  teeth,  and  the  Mouse  was  highly  de- 
lighted with  his  lucky  find,  for  now  he  had 
something  to  nibble  upon.  Day  by  day  he 
paid  a  visit  to  the  parchment  and  whetted 
his  teeth  upon  it. 

Now  it  presently  happened  that  one  day 
a  Dog  picked  up  a  piece  of  meat  and  was 
caught  and  his  paw  well  rubbed  with  hot 
85 


WHY  THE  DOG  CANNOT  ENDURE  THE   CAT 

ashes.     Weeping,  he  appeared  before  the 
King  and  told  him  the  whole  story. 

Then  the  King  immediately  summoned 
his  private  secretary,  the  Tomcat,  and  com- 
manded him  to  show  the  proclamation.  The 
Tomcat  hastened  to  bring  the  parchment 
without  delay;  but,  to  his  misfortune,  what 
did  he  find?  Only  a  few  fragments! 

It  was  at  once  clear  to  him  that  this  was 
the  deed  of  some  little  Mouse.  He  told  the 
story  to  all  the  other  Cats,  who,  to  express 
their  grief  and  sorrow,  began  to  mew  most 
piteously.  When  they  had  sufficiently  ex- 
pressed their  feelings  they  declared  war 
against  all  Mice. 

After  this  the  Tomcat  made  his  report 
to  the  King  of  the  Dogs,  and  the  King 
immediately  summoned  the  Dog-zemstvo. 
The  Dogs  came  together  from  all  parts- 
sheep-dogs,  wolf-dogs,  boar-hounds,  house- 
dogs; and  to  them  all  the  King  gave  com- 
mand that  from  thenceforth  and  forever 
86 


WHY  THE  DOG  CANNOT  ENDURE  THE  CAT 

they  should  treat  the  Cat  as  the  common 
enemy.  Thus  all  cats  would  be  made  to  rue 
that  Tomcat's  carelessness. 

And  that  is  the  end  of  the  story. 

"  Now  I  understand  all  about  it,"  said 
the  little  boy. 


87 


CHAPTER   X 

A   PLEASANT   SURPRISE 

A  VERY  delightful  surprise  awaited  the 
little  boy.  A  few  days  after  the  meet- 
ing in  his  house  his  mother  told  him  that 
the  mir  had  elected  his  father  deputy  to  the 
zemstvo.  In  a  few  days  he  must  go  to  the 
capital  of  the  district,  and  he  had  decided 
to  take  the  little  boy  and  his  mother  with 
him.  That  was  news  indeed!  The  little 
boy  ran  to  tell  his  grandmother.  Or,  rather, 
he  hopped  on  one  foot  all  the  way,  for  he 
was  so  glad  that  he  had  to  do  something 
unusual. 

The  grandmother  was  delighted  with  the 

news.     "  You  will  go  on  the  railroad,"  she 

said.    "  That  is  a  great  thing.    There  were 

no  railroads  when  I  was  young,  and  I  should 

88 


A  PLEASANT  SURPRISE 

not  like  to  travel  on  one.  A  good  sledge 
with  three  horses  is  far  safer,  I  think.  But 
the  railroad  is  faster,  your  father  tells  me, 
and  that  is  something  in  cold  weather." 

The  little  boy  ran  back  to  find  out  how 
soon  they  were  to  go.  "  Shall  we  go  to- 
day? "  he  asked  his  mother. 

"  Oh,  no,  not  to-day! "  she  answered. 

"  To-morrow,  then? " 

"  Not  to-morrow,  but  perhaps  the  day 
after  to-morrow." 

"  That  is  a  long  time! "  sighed  the  little 
boy. 

"  You  must  have  patience,"  said  the 
mother.  "  There  is  no  virtue  so  necessary 
in  this  world  as  patience." 

The  little  boy  wandered  back  to  his 
grandmother's  room. 

"  Grandmamma,"  he  said,  "  mother  says 
I  must  have  patience;  but  I  don't  know  how. 
We  are  not  going  to  start  on  the  journey 
for  two  whole  days." 

89 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  BADGER 

"  Perhaps  I  can  help  you,"  said  the 
grandmother.  "  If  I  were  to  tell  you  a 
story  now?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  that  would  help,  little  grand- 
ma! "  cried  the  little  boy.  "  I  can  be  very 
patient  when  you  tell  me  stories." 

"  This  one,"  said  the  grandmother,  "  is 
about 

"  THE  FOX  AND  THE  BADGER  " 

A  Fox  and  a  Badger  met  in  the  moun- 
tains and  made  an  alliance,  agreeing  that 
whichever  of  them  found  anything  good  to 
eat  should  share  it  with  the  other,  like  a 
brother. 

Now  the  Master  knew  where  there  was  a 
trap  set  and  baited  with  a  great  piece  of 
meat.  He  therefore  led  the  Badger  there 
and  showed  him  the  meat. 

"  See,  dear  nephew,"  said  he,  "  how  your 
clever  uncle  has  led  you  to  a  place  where  we 
can  both  have  a  grand  feast.  But  you  are 
90 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  BADGER 

more  limber  than  I,  so  just  slip  gently  in 
and  pull  out  the  meat,  while  I  keep  watch 
that  the  moujik  who  put  it  here  does  not 
suddenly  catch  us  napping." 

The  Badger  agreed  without  further 
words.  He  slipped  into  the  trap,  and  was 
about  to  pull  the  meat  from  the  hook,  when 
— snap! — his  forefoot  was  fast  in  the 
trap.  The  Badger  broke  out  into  a  howl 
of  distress,  "  Help,  uncle,  help !  I  am 
lost!" 

Reinecke  ran  quickly  to  the  trap,  but  in- 
stead of  freeing  the  Badger  he  at  once  be- 
gan to  gnaw  the  meat. 

"  Just  have  a  little  patience,"  he  said, 
"  till  I  have  eaten  this  morsel  before  some 
one  comes  from  the  village.  Then  I  will 
pull  your  leg  out  of  the  trap." 

Now    Graybeard    saw    plainly    that    the 

Master  had  played  a  trick  upon  him,  and 

he  quickly  seized  him  by  the  nape  of  the 

neck.     At  this  moment  the  moujik  came 

91 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  BADGER 

running  up,  crying  from  afar,  "  Hold  on, 
my  falcon-badger!  By  my  faith,  I  will  not 
rumple  a  hair  of  your  head! " 

So  the  moujik  killed  the  Fox  and  stripped 
off  his  skin,  saying  to  the  Badger,  "  You 
may  go  free;  his  skin  is  worth  five  kopeks, 
but  yours  only  two.  Go,  in  God's  name! " 

"  It  wasn't  fair  of  Reinecke,"  observed 
the  little  boy. 

"  No,  it  wasn't  fair,  and  so  he  got  pun- 
ished," said  the  grandmother. 

The  little  boy  was  silent  for  a  few  min- 
utes. Then  he  said: 

"  Little  grandma,  I  am  not  patient  yet." 

"Oho!"  said  the  grandmother,  "if  my 
stories  don't  help  you  to  be  patient,  there  is 
no  use  in  my  telling  them." 

"  But  they  do  help,  grandmamma,"  said 
the  little  boy.     "  I  am  a  little  patient  now, 
just  a  very  little.     If  you  told  me  another 
story  I  should  be  more  patient  still." 
92 


THE  STAG  AND  THE  HEDGEHOG 

The  grandmother  laughed.  Then  she 
told  the  story  of 

THE   STAG  AND  THE   HEDGEHOG 

A  Stag  and  a  Hedgehog  were  once 
standing  upon  a  steep  hill,  and  the  Hedge- 
hog invited  the  Stag  to  roll  down  with  him 
into  the  ditch. 

"  Do  you  roll  down  first,"  replied  the 
Stag. 

Without  further  words  the  Hedgehog 
rolled  himself  into  a  round  ball  and  rolled 
down  the  slope.  The  Stag  followed  and 
broke  his  neck. 

Then  thought  the  Hedgehog,  "What 
shall  I  do  with  you  now? "  At  last  the 
thought  occurred  to  him  to  call  a  butcher, 
and  he  immediately  set  out  to  seek  one.  On 
the  way  he  met  a  Fox. 

'  Whither  away?"  asked  Reinecke;  and 
the  Hedgehog  answered,  "  To  seek  a 
butcher." 

98 


THE  STAG  AND  THE   HEDGEHOG 

"  Gossip,"  said  the  Fox,  "  I  am  a 
butcher." 

"  Then  show  me  your  teeth,  Master,"  said 
the  Hedgehog. 

Reinecke  showed  his  teeth,  but  the  Hedge- 
hog told  him  they  were  not  sharp  enough, 
and  went  on  his  way. 

After  a  while  he  met  a  Wolf,  who  asked 
him,  "  Whither  away,  Gossip?  " 

"  To  seek  a  butcher,"  said  the  Hedge- 
hog. 

"  I  am  a  butcher,  sure  enough,"  said  the 
Wolf. 

c  Then  show  me  your  tools." 

Isegrim  showed  his  teeth,  and  the  Hedge- 
hog, well  pleased,  said  to  him,  "  Follow  me, 
then." 

The  Wolf  followed  him,  and  they  came 
to  the  dead  Stag.  In  a  trice  the  Wolf  had 
torn  him  in  pieces,  and  inviting  all  his  kin- 
dred to  the  feast,  he  gave  each  of  them  a 
fine  morsel,  and  kept  a  whole  leg  for  him- 
94 


THE  STAG  AND  THE  HEDGEHOG 

self,  without  the  least  consideration  for  the 
Hedgehog. 

"Well,  and  what  am  I  to  get?"  asked 
the  Hedgehog,  quite  vexed;  and  the  Wolf 
replied,  "  The  entrails." 

This  seemed  to  the  Hedgehog  very  un- 
fair, and  he  began  to  reason  with  Isegrim. 
But  the  Wolf  only  answered,  "  If  you 
aren't  satisfied,  go  to  the  judge  and  make 
a  complaint." 

So  the  Hedgehog  went  to  seek  a  judge, 
and  the  Wolf  followed  after.  Now  the 
Hedgehog  knew  where  there  was  a  trap, 
and  he  led  Isegrim  in  that  direction.  The 
Hedgehog  tapped  lightly  upon  the  knocker, 
but  this  quite  disgusted  Isegrim. 

"Wait,  let  me  knock!"  said  he,  and  he 
thumped  with  all  the  strength  of  his  paw. 
So  he  was  caught,  and  the  Hedgehog  ran 
away  laughing. 

The  story  is  done. 


95 


THE  STAG  AND  THE  HEDGEHOG 

"  It  is  done  too  quick,  little  grandmoth- 
er," observed  the  little  boy  after  a  mo- 
ment's thought.  "  I  am  not  patient  yet." 

'  Then  my  medicine  is  not  the  right 
kind,"  said  the  grandmother.  "  Run  away 
home  and  hold  some  yarn  for  your  sister. 
I  heard  her  say  that  she  was  going  to  knit 
some  warm  mittens  for  you  to  wear  on  the 
journey.  Holding  yarn  is  an  excellent 
school  for  patience." 


96 


CHAPTER   XI 

THE   PATIENT   LITTLE   BOY 

THE  door  of  the  grandmother's  room 
opened  very  slowly,  and  the  little  boy 
peeped  in. 

"  Grandmother,  I  did  hold  the  yarn,  and 
I  am  very  patient  now.  Do  you  think  you 
could  tell  me  another  story?  " 

"  It  is  such  a  good  thing  to  be  patient," 
said  the  grandmother,  "  and  so  hard  to  learn, 
that  I  am  sure  you  deserve  a  reward.  So 
come  in  and  shut  the  door  tight,  and  I  will 
tell  you  about 

"  THE   COCK   AND   THE   HEN  " 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  man  who 
had  lived  many  years  in  peace  and  quietness 
with  his  wife.    At  last,  however,  they  fell 
97 


THE  COCK  AND  THE  HEN 

into  a  violent  quarrel  and  decided  to  sepa- 
rate at  bed  and  board  and  to  divide  their 
goods  between  them. 

Short  hear  is  soon  brushed,  and  the  divis- 
ion was  soon  made,  for  their  whole  posses- 
sions consisted  of  a  Cock  and  a  Hen.  And 
the  wife  said,  "  I'll  take  the  Hen  for  my 
share,  and  you  may  have  the  Cock." 

By  and  by  the  husband  fell  ill,  and  he 
went  to  beg  his  wife  to  give  him  just  one 
little  egg,  for  he  was  very  hungry.  But  she 
answered  him  scornfully: 

"  Hum,  hum,  where  is  your  Cock?  Let 
him  lay  you  a  little  egg;  if  he  won't  do  it, 
kill  him!" 

At  this  the  man  returned  home  quite 
crestfallen,  and  said  to  his  Cock,  "  Come, 
my  fine  fellow,  this  can't  go  on  any  longer! 
You  do  nothing  but  eat  and  drink,  and 
never  bring  me  so  much  as  a  bright  penny. 
Go  out  into  the  world  and  seek  your  fort- 
une!" 

98 


THE  COCK  AND  THE  HEN 

In  deep  dejection  the  Cock  sighed,  "  Ah, 
where  shall  I  find  anything? " 

However,  he  sallied  forth  sturdily,  and  in 
the  forest  he  met  Isegrim.  The  Wolf  said 
to  him,  "  Whither  away,  my  fine  fellow?  " 

"  Oh,  I'm  going  out  into  the  world  to 
seek  my  fortune !  " 

"  May  I  go  with  you?  " 

"  Not  another  word ;  be  my  comrade." 

So  the  two  travelled  up  and  down  the 
world  until  Isegrim  was  too  tired  to  go  an- 
other step,  and  the  Cock  said  to  him: 

"Well,  dear  uncle,  can't  you  walk  far- 
ther than  this? " 

"Alas,  no!"  said  the  Wolf . 

"  Then  slip  yourself  into  me." 

In  a  trice  Isegrim  was  in  the  body  of  the 
Cock,  who  went  on,  quite  at  his  ease. 

Shortly  after  he  met  Reinecke,  and  said 
to  him,  "  Whither  away,  Master? " 

'  Whither  away?  Into  the  world  to  seek 
my  fortune." 

99 


THE  COCK  AND  THE  HEN 

'  Then  join  my  company,"  said  the  Cock. 

So  they  went  up  and  down  the  world 
until  Reinecke  was  quite  exhausted  and 
could  go  no  farther. 

"What,  Master!"  said  the  Cock,  "do 
you  give  out  so  soon?  Well,  just  slip  your- 
self into  me  and  I'll  carry  you." 

Master  Reinecke  slipped  quickly  into  the 
Cock,  who  bravely  went  on  his  way. 

After  a  time  he  came  to  a  little  Brook. 
"  Little  Brook,  whither  away?  " 

"  Oh,  through  the  world!  " 

"  Come  with  me,  then,  and  be  my  com- 
rade." 

So  they  went  forward  until  the  little 
Brook,  for  very  weariness,  could  go  no 
farther. 

"  Does  your  strength  give  out  so  soon, 
my  little  Brook? "  asked  the  Cock. 

"  Alas,  yes! "  replied  the  little  Brook. 

"  Then  slip  into  me;  I'll  carry  you,"  and 
in  a  moment  the  Brook  had  slipped  into  the 
Cock. 


THE  COCK  AND  THE  HEN 

In  the  course  of  time  the  Cock  met  a 
swarm  of  Bees.  '  Whither  away? "  he 
asked. 

"  Oh,  into  the  wide  world  to  seek  a 
shelter!" 

"  Then  come  along;  be  my  comrades." 

They  had  not  gone  far  before  the  swarm 
of  Bees  grew  tired  and  could  go  no  farther, 
and  the  Cock  invited  them  to  crawl  into  his 
body. 

So  the  Cock,  carrying  the  swarm  of  Bees, 
the  Brook,  the  Fox,  and  the  Wolf  in  his 
body,  arrived  at  a  great  city.  In  this  city 
reigned  a  King  and  his  wife,  the  Queen. 
The  Cock  flew  straight  to  the  roof  of  the 
royal  palace  and  spent  the  night  there.  At 
early  dawn  he  began  to  crow  lustily: 

Cock-a-doodle-doo !     Cock-a-doodle-doo ! 
One  kick  for  the  King,  for  the  Queen  two ! 

This  enraged  the  King  terribly,  and  he 
commanded  his  chamberlain  to  catch  this 
101 


THE  COCK  AND  THE  HEN 

impudent  crower  and  chain  him  in  the  royal 
stables,  that  he  might  be  trampled  to  death 
by  the  horses'  hoofs.  The  chamberlain 
caught  the  Cock,  threw  him  into  the  stable, 
and  shut  the  door  well. 

Then  the  Cock  told  the  Wolf  to  slip  out, 
and  during  the  night  Isegrim  strangled  all 
the  horses  and  ate  up  a  whole  colt.  Then 
he  broke  a  hole  through  the  wall,  by  which 
he  and  the  Cock  escaped.  The  Cock  perched 
himself  again  upon  the  roof  and  began  his 
song  of  yesterday: 

Cock-a-doodle-doo !     Cock-a-doodle-doo : 
One  kick  for  the  King,  for  the  Queen  two! 

In  a  moment  the  King  sprang  out  of 
bed,  called  his  chamberlain,  and  ordered  him 
to  send  and  see  what  had  happened  in  the 
stable,  that  the  Cock  was  out  of  doors  and 
crowing.  The  chamberlain  hastened  to  the 
stable,  saw  the  strangled  horses,  and  brought 
the  news  to  the  King. 
102 


THE  COCK  AND  THE  HEN 

At  this  the  King  flew  into  a  still  greater 
rage,  and  gave  command  to  catch  the  Cock 
and  throw  him  among  the  geese.  The  cham- 
berlain seized  the  Cock  and  locked  him  in 
the  goose-pen,  where  there  were  several  hun- 
dred geese.  Then  the  Cock  said  to  the  Fox, 
"  Come  forth,  Master,  and  finish  up  with  all 
these  geese! " 

Reinecke  was  soon  at  work,  and  by  day- 
break every  goose  was  strangled.  Then  the 
Fox  groped  a  hole  through  the  pen,  and  he 
and  the  Cock  slipped  comfortably  out.  The 
Cock  flew  again  to  the  roof  and  sang  as  on 
the  former  day: 

Cock-a-doodle-doo !     Cock-a-doodle-doo ! 
One  kick  for  the  King,  for  the  Queen  two! 

The  King  was  more  enraged  than  ever, 
and  sent  to  see  what  had  happened  to  the 
geese.  The  servant  found  them  all  dead, 
and  brought  the  news  to  the  King.  Then 
the  King  commanded  that  the  great  bake- 
103 


THE  COCK  AND  THE  HEN 

oven  should  be  heated  and  the  Cock  thrown 
into  it.  The  servant  caught  the  Cock  and 
threw  him  into  the  very  middle  of  the  hot 
oven.  Then  the  Cock  sang: 

Little  Brook,  flow  quickly  out ; 
Put  the  oven  fire  out! 

And  the  little  Brook  flowed  out  into  the 
oven  and  extinguished  the  whole  fire. 

The  next  morning  the  people  came  to  see 
if  the  Cock  was  dead,  when,  lo!  he  was  al- 
ready perched  upon  the  roof,  singing: 

Cock-a-doodle-doo !     Cock-a-doodle-doo ! 
One  kick  for  the  King,  for  the  Queen  two! 

Now  the  King  was  beside  himself  with 
rage.  He  rushed  out  to  catch  the  Cock  him- 
self, and  not  knowing,  in  his  excitement, 
what  to  do  with  him,  he  thrust  him  un- 
der his  night-clothes.  Then  the  Cock  told 
the  swarm  of  Bees  to  come  out  and  sting 
the  King.  "Buzz,  buzzl"  out  they  came, 
104 


THE  COCK  AND  THE  HEN 

and  stung  the   King  till  he  was   all  one 
wound. 

At  this  the  King  commanded  his  servants 
to  lock  up  the  Cock  in  his  treasure-chamber, 
that  he  might  miserably  starve  to  death. 
The  servants  seized  the  Cock  and  carried 
him  to  the  treasure-chamber,  but  they  were 
so  frightened  that  they  ran  away  as  fast  as 
their  heels  could  carry  them,  forgetting  to 
fasten  the  door.  There  were  great  heaps  of 
shining,  brand-new  ducats  in  the  treasure- 
chamber,  and  the  Cock  made  the  best  of  the 
opportunity  by  swallowing  a  number  of 
them  and  hiding  one  under  each  of  his 
feathers.  Then  he  flew  away  to  his  old 
master's  house.  He  perched  upon  a  tree  in 
the  yard  and  began  to  crow: 

O,  little  father,  little  father! 
Spread  some  plates  abroad  for  me, 
Fll  give  ducats  bright  to  thee! 

The  old  man,  overjoyed,  spread  out  three 
105 


THE  COCK  AND  THE  HEN 

plates  under  the  tree.  Then  the  Cock  shook 
himself,  and  a  shower  of  golden  ducats  fell 
and  lay  upon  the  plates  in  three  great  heaps. 
The  old  man  was  perfectly  happy  to  have 
so  much  money,  and  from  this  time  forward 
he  let  the  Cock  want  for  nothing. 

His  former  wife  soon  heard  that  he  had 
become  enormously  rich,  and  she  came  to 
see  him. 

"  Ah,  come,"  said  she  to  him,  "  give  me  a 
few  ducats! " 

"  Not  if  I  know  it !  Why  would  not  you 
give  me  one  little  egg,  eh?  Go  back  and 
tell  your  old  Hen  to  bring  you  ducats." 

The  old  woman  ran  back  to  her  home  and 
commanded  her  Hen,  "  Go  out  into  the 
world  and  seek  your  fortune,  and  bring  me 
home  some  ducats." 

The  Hen  went  sadly  forth,  betook  her- 
self to  the  refuse  heap  and  began  to  scratch 
in  the  litter.  After  long  scratching  she 
found  a  copper  heller  and  a  needle.  She 
106 


A  shower  of  golden  ducats  fell,  and  lay  upon  the  plates  in 
three  great  heaps 


THE  COCK  AND  THE  HEN 

picked  them  up,  and  also  stuck  a  little  stone 
under  each  of  her  feathers.  Then  she 
flew  back  to  the  court-yard  and  began  to 
cackle: 

O,  little  mother,  little  mother! 
Spread  some  plates  abroad  for  me, 
I'll  give  ducats  bright  to  thee! 

Filled  with  joy,  the  old  woman  hastened 
to  spread  out  four  plates  under  the  tree. 
Then  the  Hen  shook  herself,  and  let  fall  on 
one  plate  the  worn  heller,  but  only  little 
stones  on  all  the  others. 

"  Is  that  all? "  exclaimed  the  old  woman 
angrily. 

"  No,  here  is  something  more,"  clucked 
the  Hen,  and  she  slung  the  needle  into  the 
old  woman's  eye. 

Upon  this  the  old  woman  beat  the  Hen 

soundly,  and  went  back  to  her  husband's 

house,  begged  his  pardon  and  made  it  all 

up  with  him.    Whenever  he  wanted  an  egg 

107 


THE  COCK  AND  THE  HEN 

she  gave  him  one,  and  he  always  gave  her 
a  ducat  in  exchange. 

Little  boy,  if  you  are  good  you  shall  get 
an  egg  for  nothing! 

"  I  am  good,  grandmother,"  said  the  lit- 
tle boy.  "  Will  you  give  me  an  egg?  " 

The  grandmother  laughed.  "  That  is 
only  the  way  the  story  ends/'  she  said. 
"  But  it  is  dinner-time,  and  if  your  mother 
will  let  you  take  dinner  with  me  I  will  give 
you  an  egg.  Run  away  and  ask  her." 


108 


CHAPTER   XII 

THE   SHEEP-PLAY 

dinner  was  over,  the  plates  washed 
•*•  and  put  away,  and  grandmother  was 
busy  with  her  spinning.  The  little  boy  was 
amusing  himself  with  some  bits  of  wool  that 
had  fallen  to  the  floor,  for  everything  is  a 
plaything  to  a  Russian  child.  The  bits  of 
wool  were  sheep,  and  a  wooden  stool  was  a 
sheepfold,  and  a  bit  of  fuel  that  had  fallen 
when  grandmother  covered  up  the  fire  was 
the  sheep-dog.  It  was  a  very  nice  play. 

The  room  was  very  quiet,  for,  though  the 
little  boy  talked  all  the  time  to  his  sheep  and 
his  dog,  he  had  been  taught  to  talk  softly 
in  his  plays,  as  all  children  must  do  when  a 
whole  family  lives  in  one  room.  He  talked 
very  softly  indeed  when  he  saw  that  grand- 
109 


THE  SHEEP-PLAY 

mother  had  leaned  her  head  against  the 
straight  back  of  her  rush-bottomed  chair 
and  was  taking  a  little  nap.  Presently  the 
distaff  fell  from  her  lap  to  the  floor  and 
awakened  her. 

'Why,  I  must  have  been  asleep!"  she 
said,  and  went  on  with  her  spinning. 

At  last  the  sheep,  which  had  been  wander- 
ing away  upon  the  hills  that  rose  between 
the  hollows  in  the  clay  floor,  had  all  been 
discovered  by  the  sheep-dog  and  herded,  one 
by  one,  in  the  fold.  The  little  boy  was  tired 
of  playing,  and  he  sat  on  the  stool  to  listen 
to  his  grandmother's  singing.  Grandmother 
was  always  singing  when  she  was  not  tell- 
ing stories  to  the  little  boy. 

"  Why  can't  you  tell  stories  while  you 
spin,  as  well  as  when  you  knit?  "  asked  the 
little  boy. 

"  Oh,  that  isn't  the  way!  "  said  the  grand- 
mother. "  When  it  is  dark  and  I  take  my 
knitting  I  can  tell  a  story,  but  not  now. 
110 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

You'd  better  go  home  till  it  begins  to  grow 
dark;  then  come,  and  we'll  see  what  story 
little  grandmother  can  tell." 

The  winter  day  was  very  short,  and  it  was 
not  long  before  the  little  boy  came  back. 
Grandmother  was  still  spinning,  but  she  laid 
aside  her  distaff  and  spindle,  took  her  knit- 
ting down  from  the  shelf,  and  began  the 
story  of 

THE    BEG   AND   THE   FOX 

Once  upon  a  time  there  lived  in  a  cer- 
tain village  a  Beg  whose  whole  property 
consisted  of  a  horse,  a  greyhound,  and 
a  musket.  He  had  no  other  occupation 
than  hunting,  and  by  this  he  gained  his 
living. 

One  fine  day  he  mounted  his  horse,  threw 
his  musket  over  his  shoulder,  called  to  his 
greyhound,  and  set  off  to  hunt  upon  the 
high  mountains.  After  riding  a  long  dis- 
tance he  reached  an  elevated  plain,  where  he 
111 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

tied  his  horse  to  a  tree  and  went  forward 
into  the  thick  woods,  with  his  gun  upon  his 
shoulder  and  his  dog  by  his  side.  While  he 
was  hunting  on  the  mountain  a  Fox  drew 
near  to  the  horse  and  lay  down  in  the  grass 
beside  him. 

The  Beg  hunted  about  in  the  woods  for 
a  long  time,  but  he  only  made  out  to  kill  a 
single  deer.  When  he  went  back  to  his 
horse  and  saw  the  Fox  lying  there  beside  it 
he  was  astonished,  and  raised  his  musket  to 
make  an  end  of  the  Master.  But  when  the 
Fox  saw  what  the  Beg  was  about  to  do  he 
sprang  up  quickly  and  implored  him,  for 
the  love  of  Heaven,  to  spare  his  life,  promis- 
ing to  be  a  faithful  guard  and  protector  to 
his  horse. 

The  Beg  took  pity  on  the  Fox  and  gave 
him  his  life.  Then  mounting  his  horse,  he 
laid  the  deer  before  him,  set  the  Fox  behind 
him,  and  went  home.  On  arriving  at  home 
he  put  the  deer  upon  the  spit  to  roast  for 
112 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

supper,  and  threw  the  offal  to  the  Fox,  that 
he  might  have  a  good  meal  too. 

So  the  night  passed.  In  the  first  dawn 
of  morning  the  Beg  again  set  out,  taking 
the  Fox  along.  He  went  again  to  the  same 
high  plain,  tied  his  horse  to  the  same  tree, 
and  went  forward  to  hunt,  leaving  the  Fox 
to  guard  the  horse.  After  his  departure  the 
Fox  remained  alone  for  a  time.  But  he 
soon  had  company,  for  a  Bear  came  along, 
intending  to  devour  the  horse.  But  the  Fox 
stopped  him  and  begged  him  to  spare  the 
horse,  advising  him  to  stay  till  the  Beg  re- 
turned, for  he  was  a  good  master  and  would 
feed  them  both  at  his  house.  The  Bear  joy- 
fully accepted  this  proposal,  and  lay  down 
beside  the  Fox  to  await  the  worthy  Beg's 
return. 

When  the  Beg  came  back  from  hunting 

he  was  not  a  little  surprised  to  see  the  Bear 

lying  peacefully  with  the  Fox  beside  the 

horse,  and  he  quickly  raised  his  musket  to 

113 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

him.  But  the  Fox  sprang  forward  and  be- 
gan to  beseech  the  Beg  to  spare  the  Bear 
and  take  him  home  with  him.  The  Bear, 
he  said,  would  keep  him  company  in  guard- 
ing the  horse,  and  would  rush  to  the  Beg's 
aid  in  every  need  and  danger.  At  these 
entreaties  the  Beg  laid  down  his  gun,  threw 
across  his  horse  the  two  deer  which  he  had 
killed,  and  returned  home  in  high  good- 
humor,  accompanied  by  the  Fox  and  the 
Bear. 

The  following  day  the  Beg  went  hunting 
again  and  left  his  horse  on  the  same  high 
plain.  This  day  a  Wolf  joined  the  com- 
pany and  was  taken  home  with  the  others. 
On  the  fourth  day  a  Mouse  and  a  Mole 
presented  themselves  and  were  accepted  in 
the  family,  and  at  last  came  the  bird  Kum- 
rikusha,1  which  was  so  large  that  it  could 
easily  have  carried  away  the  horse  and  his 

1  Kumrikusha  is  from  a  Slavonic  root  signifying  *'  the  bird 
of  the  desert." 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

rider  through  the  air.     All  these  animals 
were  fed  by  the  Beg  at  his  own  house. 

One  day  the  Fox  said  to  the  Bear,  "  Up, 
Master  Petz!  Bring  me  here  a  log!  I  will 
sit  upon  it  and  give  orders,  and  you  must 
all  execute  them." 

Upon  this  the  Bear  betook  himself  to  the 
forest  and  dragged  home  the  trunk  of  a 
mighty  tree.  Then  Reinecke  climbed  upon 
it  and  uttered  the  following  discourse: 

"  All  right!  Well,  then!  See  here,  now, 
worthy  companions  and  friends!  We  must 
marry  our  Beg." 

"Good!"  replied  the  others;  "but  how 
shall  we  begin?  For  we  don't  know  where 
to  find  a  maiden  for  him." 

"  The  Emperor  has  a  daughter,"  replied 
Reinecke;  "let  us  marry  our  Beg  to  her. 
Kumrikusha,  do  you  begin.  Set  off  at 
once  for  the  imperial  castle,  lie  in  wait  for 
the  young  lady  when  she  takes  her  walk, 
seize  her  and  bring  her  here." 
115 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

Kumrikusha,  nothing  loath,  set  out  at 
once,  alighted  near  the  imperial  castle,  and 
watched  for  the  Emperor's  little  daughter. 
Just  at  nightfall  she  came  out  of  the  castle 
to  walk,  accompanied  by  her  waiting-wom- 
an. In  a  trice  Kumrikusha  was  upon  the 
spot,  seized  the  Princess,  set  her  upon  his 
back,  and  flew  homeward. 

When  the  Emperor  heard  of  the  abduc- 
tion of  his  daughter  he  was  beside  himself 
with  grief,  and  offered  to  reward  with  un- 
told wealth  the  person  who  should  bring  her 
home  again.  But  all  in  vain,  for  no  one 
dared  undertake  the  adventure,  until  at  last, 
one  day,  a  gypsy-wife  presented  herself  be- 
fore the  Emperor  and  said  to  him: 

"  Lord  Emperor,  what  shall  I  get  if  I 
bring  you  back  your  daughter? " 

The  Emperor  could  hardly  believe  his  own 
ears,  and  he  cried  out  in  delight,  "  Ask  what 
you  will,  it  shall  be  granted ;  only  bring  her 
back  safe!" 

116 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

The  gypsy-wife  went  home,  took  some 
beans  in  her  hand,  and  began  to  practise  en- 
chantment with  them,  according  to  ancient 
custom.  She  soon  divined  from  the  beans 
that  the  Princess  was  distant  ten  days' 
journey,  and  she  at  once  prepared  to 
follow  her.  She  took  a  piece  of  carpet 
and  her  riding-whip,  seated  herself  upon 
the  carpet,  cracked  the  whip,  and  up 
rose  the  carpet  into  the  air.  It  carried 
her  straight  to  the  place  where  the  Beg 
was  living  with  his  wife,  the  Emperor's 
daughter. 

Arrived  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
Beg's  stronghold,  the  gypsy-wife  let  her- 
self down  to  the  ground,  left  her  carpet  and 
riding-whip  lying  there,  and  found  a  hid- 
ing-place where  she  could  see  the  Princess 
when  she  came  out  before  the  door  for  her 
evening  walk.  She  had  not  long  to  wait. 
The  Princess  soon  came  out  for  a  little  walk, 
and  in  a  trice  the  gypsy-wife  was  at  her 
117 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

side,  entering  into  conversation  with  her. 
As  they  talked  she  gradually  led  her  farther 
and  farther  away  from  the  Beg's  castle, 
and  at  last  turned  off  into  a  by-path,  where 
the  carpet  lay. 

No  sooner  did  the  Princess  see  the  carpet 
spread  upon  the  grass  than  she  exclaimed, 
"  Why,  here  is  a  carpet!  Let  us  sit  down 
upon  it.'* 

Nothing  could  have  pleased  the  gypsy 
better.  They  sat  down  together.  The  gypsy 
took  up  her  riding-whip,  struck  the  carpet, 
and  away  they  both  went  through  the  air, 
straight  to  the  imperial  castle. 

The  Emperor's  joy  was  boundless  when 
he  saw  his  daughter,  and  he  richly  rewarded 
the  gypsy.  But  he  shut  the  Princess  up  in 
a  room  and  strictly  forbade  her  to  leave  it, 
appointing  two  maids  to  watch  and  wait 
upon  her. 

When  Reinecke  heard  what  had  hap- 
pened to  his  Beg's  wife,  he  summoned  his 
118 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

companions  to  a  council  and  addressed  them 
in  the  following  words: 

"Friends  and  comrades!  We  have  in- 
deed married  our  Beg  to  the  Emperor's 
daughter,  but,  as  you  see,  she  has  been  for- 
cibly taken  away  from  us,  and  here  is  our 
Beg  a  lonely  bachelor  again.  Nothing  re- 
mains for  us  to  do  but  to  bring  the  Princess 
back  to  our  Beg.  But  this  is  an  undertaking 
beset  with  difficulties.  The  Emperor  keeps 
his  daughter  under  strict  watch,  and  never 
permits  her  to  leave  her  chamber.  You  see, 
therefore,  that  only  stratagem  can  avail  us 
here." 

"  What,  then,  shall  we  do? "  asked  Petz. 

"  There  is  nothing  better  to  do  than  for 
me  to  transform  myself  into  a  beautiful 
striped  kitten  and  play  about  under  the 
Princess's  window.  When  she  sees  me  she 
will  send  her  maids  down  to  catch  me.  But 
I  shall  not  allow  myself  to  be  caught  until 
the  Princess  herself  comes  down.  At  the 
119 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

very  moment  she  appears,  do  you,  Kum- 
rikusha,  arrive  upon  the  scene,  seize  her,  and 
carry  her  to  our  Beg.  Meanwhile  I  shall 
look  sharp  to  outrun  the  pursuers  and  get 
off  with  a  whole  skin." 

Thus  spoke  the  Master,  and  all  the  others 
agreed  that  the  plan  was  good. 

The  bird  Kumrikusha  immediately  took 
the  Fox  under  his  wing,  flew  with  him  into 
the  kingdom  where  the  Emperor's  daughter 
languished,  and  set  him  down  near  the  im- 
perial castle.  The  Master  no  sooner  felt 
solid  ground  under  his  feet  than  he  trans- 
formed himself  into  a  beautiful  striped 
kitten,  crept  under  the  balcony  where  the 
Princess  was  sitting,  and  began  to  spring 
about  in  the  most  graceful  and  fantastic 
manner.  Thus  he  succeeded  in  attracting 
her  attention,  and,  as  he  had  anticipated,  the 
Princess  at  once  sent  her  maids  down  to 
bring  the  kitten  to  her.  But  Reinecke, 
though  in  a  cat's  form,  was  still  a  fox  at 
120 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

heart,  and  was  not  to  be  caught  at  any 
price. 

When  the  Emperor's  daughter  saw  this 
she  herself  went  down  to  catch  Pussy.  But 
hardly  had  she  stepped  out  of  the  door  when 
the  bird  Kumrikusha  swooped  down,  seized 
her,  and  bore  her  home  to  the  Beg,  while 
Reinecke  ran  off  in  another  direction  and 
thus  saved  his  skin. 

As  soon  as  the  Emperor  heard  of  this  mis- 
hap he  ordered  out  his  hounds  to  hunt  the 
cat  that  had  decoyed  away  his  daughter. 
But  the  cat,  when  he  saw  himself  chased, 
took  refuge  in  the  cleft  of  a  rock  into  which 
the  hounds  could  not  follow  him.  So  they 
returned  home  from  a  bootless  chase. 

Then  the  cat  crept  out,  transformed  him- 
self back  into  a  fox,  and  followed  Kum- 
rikusha, who  by  this  time  had  brought  the 
Princess  home  to  the  Beg. 

The  Emperor,  convinced  that  he  should 
not  recover  his  daughter  by  peaceful  means, 
121 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

levied  an  immense  army  and  declared  war 
against  the  beasts.  When  Reinecke  heard 
of  this  he  summoned  the  other  animals  that 
lived  with  the  Beg,  and  which,  as  I  have 
told  you,  were  a  Bear,  a  Wolf,  a  Mouse,  a 
Mole,  and  the  bird  Kumrikusha,  and  spoke 
to  them  thus: 

"  Listen!  The  Emperor,  with  his  whole 
army,  is  marching  against  us  to  exterminate 
us.  Very  well;  let  us  also  summon  our 
forces,  that  we  may  make  a  brave  stand 
against  him.  Master  Petz,  how  many  bears 
can  you  muster? " 

"  More  than  three  hundred." 

"And  you,  Isegrim? " 

"  I  can  bring  five  hundred  wolves." 

"  And  you,  Mouse — speak  up ;  how  great 
is  your  command? " 

"  I  can  bring  three  thousand  mice." 

"  And  how  many  moles  can  you  bring, 
Mole?" 

"  Eight  thousand." 

122 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

"And  you,  Kumrikusha,  will  you  join 
us?" 

"  Yes,  with  two  or  three  hundred  birds 
like  myself." 

"  Good!  Now  go  and  levy  your  forces 
as  has  been  agreed.  When  they  are  assem- 
bled, come  here,  that  I  may  tell  you  what 
to  do  next." 

As  soon  as  Reinecke  had  given  these  or- 
ders the  beasts  all  betook  themselves  to  the 
forest  in  order  to  summon  their  troops. 
Soon  heaven  and  earth  resounded  with  the 
din  of  approaching  multitudes.  Here  came 
the  army  of  the  Bears,  there  came  the 
Wolves,  and  close  behind  were  the  Mice 
and  the  Moles.  Woods  and  fields  were 
filled  with  them,  and  when  they  were  all 
drawn  up  in  martial  array  Reinecke  held  a 
review  and  gave  the  following  orders: 

"  You,  Bears  and  Wolves,  must  lead  the 
van,  and  when  the  Emperor  has  encamped 
for  the  night  do  you  fall  upon  the  camp 
128 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

and  kill  all  the  horses.  On  the  second  night, 
you,  Mice,  must  gnaw  all  the  saddles,  for 
they  will  have  procured  fresh  horses  in  the 
meantime.  On  the  third  night,  you,  Moles, 
must  dig  around  the  camp  a  subterranean 
passage  fifteen  ells  broad  and  twenty  deep. 
And  as  soon  as  the  army  is  stirring  in  the 
morning,  you,  Kumrikushas,  must  rain  down 
great  pieces  of  rock  upon  them." 

The  review  ended,  the  several  detach- 
ments of  the  army  of  the  beasts  set  forth. 
The  first  night,  when  the  imperial  host  had 
encamped,  the  Bears  and  the  Wolves  fell 
upon  the  imperial  horses  and  tore  them  all 
to  pieces.  Early  in  the  morning  the  sol- 
diers announced  to  the  Emperor  that  wild 
beasts  had  killed  all  the  horses  during  the 
night.  The  Emperor  made  diligent  search 
into  the  cause  of  the  sudden  calamity,  and 
meanwhile  he  commanded  that  fresh  horses 
should  be  procured  without  delay.  This 
was  done  and  the  army  moved  on. 
124 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

During  the  second  night's  encampment 
the  Mice  came  and  gnawed  all  the  trappings 
of  the  horses.  In  the  morning  when  the 
soldiers  awoke  and  saw  that  all  the  saddles 
were  nibbled  they  told  the  Emperor,  who  at 
once  commanded  that  new  ones  should  be 
made.  This  done,  again  the  army  marched 
on. 

The  third  night  the  Fox  sent  the  Moles 
to  surround  the  camp  with  a  subterranean 
passage  fifteen  ells  broad  and  twenty  deep. 
That  the  work  might  be  the  sooner  accom- 
plished, he  directed  the  Bears  to  carry  away 
the  loosened  earth.  The  Moles  began  the 
work  about  midnight,  leaving  only  one  hole 
open  at  one  side  where  the  earth  was  to  be 
carried  out.  While  the  Moles  were  digging 
under  the  ground  and  throwing  up  the 
clods,  the  Bears  were  busily  carrying  the 
earth  to  some  distance  from  the  camp. 

When  the  Emperor's  troops  awoke  in  the 
morning  they  mounted  their  horses  to  ride 
125 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

away;  but  hardly  had  they  gone  a  few  steps 
when  they  began  to  fall  through  the  treach- 
erous earth.  At  the  same  time  the  Kum- 
rikushas  let  fall  a  rain  of  rocks  and  stones 
upon  them. 

When  the  Emperor  saw  his  great  army 
thus  miserably  perishing  he  cried  aloud, 
"  Let  us  beat  a  retreat!  It  is  the  judgment 
of  God  upon  us  for  undertaking  to  make 
war  upon  the  beasts.  Let  them  keep  my 
kidnapped  daughter,  in  Heaven's  name! " 

Immediately  the  army  wheeled  about  to 
retreat,  but  even  on  that  side  the  earth  gave 
way  beneath  their  feet. 

"  God  is  punishing  us  already,"  cried  the 
Emperor  in  despair,  "  by  causing  the  earth 
to  swallow  us  up!  Oh,  why,  then,  does  He 
slay  us  with  stones  and  rocks  from  the  sky?  " 

The  confusion  was  universal;  every  one 
was  pushing  and  crowding  his  neighbor; 
and  so  the  Emperor's  whole  army  melted 
away. 

126 


THE  BEG  AND  THE  FOX 

After  a  time  the  Fox  removed  his  resi- 
dence to  Stamboul  and  began  to  rule  there, 
and  the  Beg  gave  up  hunting  and  went  also 
to  Stamboul  to  be  near  his  Fox.  There, 
with  his  wife,  whom  no  one  again  dared  to 
kidnap,  he  lived  in  joy  and  peace  until  his 
blessed  end. 

The  little  boy  had  left  his  stool  and  was 
standing  near  his  grandmother,  his  eyes 
shining  in  the  darkness.  When  she  stopped 
speaking  he  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  That  was  a  good  Fox,  grandmother," 
he  said.  "  I  should  like  to  know  that  Fox." 


127 


CHAPTER   XIII 

GETTING   READY 

IT  was  very  interesting  in  the  little  boy's 
house  the  next  day,  for  the  mother  was 
getting  ready  for  the  journey  and  the  sis- 
ters were  helping.  There  was  food  to  be 
cooked  and  there  were  clothes  to  be  washed, 
and  it  all  made  a  very  pleasant  bustle.  The 
little  boy  was  in  the  thick  of  it  all.  He 
thought  he  was  helping,  though  perhaps  the 
others  thought  differently.  At  any  rate,  he 
was  in  a  state  of  most  delightful  excitement. 

When  it  grew  dark  the  work  was  all  done, 
and  the  little  boy  went  to  the  grandmother's 
room. 

"  We  are  all  ready,  grandmother,"  he  said, 
"  and  I  have  been  patient  all  the  time! " 

"Well,  well!"  said  the  grandmother. 
128 


THE  SEVEN  STARS 

"  Surely  you  deserve  a  reward,  then.  Shall 
I  tell  you  a  story?  " 

"  Oh,  dear  little  grandmother,  yes!  "  cried 
the  little  boy.  "Will  it  be  about  Rei- 
necke? " 

"  Not  about  Reinecke,  nor  any  of  the  ani- 
mals you  know,"  said  the  grandmother;  "  it 
will  be  about 

"  THE   SEVEN   STARS  " 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  King  who 
had  a  wonderfully  beautiful  daughter.  But 
there  came  a  Dragon  and  stole  her  away 
and  vanished,  leaving  not  a  trace  behind. 

So  the  King  called  his  High  Chamberlain 
and  commanded  him  to  go  forth  into  the 
world  and  seek  the  Princess,  and  on  no  ac- 
count to  come  back  without  her. 

The    High    Chamberlain    set    out    and 

searched  throughout  the  whole  world,  but 

nowhere  could  he  find  the  slightest  trace  of 

the  King's  daughter  nor  the  least  clew  to 

129 


THE  SEVEN  STARS 

her  whereabouts.  However,  an  old  woman 
advised  him  to  go  to  such-and-such  a  coun- 
try and  inquire  for  the  Dragon-mother,  for 
she  alone  was  able  to  give  him  information 
about  the  stolen  Princess. 

And,  verily,  the  High  Chamberlain  fol- 
lowed this  counsel.  After  most  toilsome 
wanderings  he  at  last  arrived  safely  at  the 
Dragon-mother's  house  and  begged  her  to 
give  him  such  information  as  she  had  as  to 
the  abiding-place  of  the  King's  daughter. 

The  Dragon-mother  answered,  "  My  dear 
friend,  stay  here  over  this  night.  What 
God  has  given  us  we  will  share  with  you— 
you  shall  not  suffer  hunger  in  my  house. 
As  soon  as  my  sons,  the  Dragons,  return 
home  from  afar  I  will  ask  them  about  the 
Princess.  I  have  five  sons,  each  one  wiser 
and  cleverer  than  the  other.  The  first  has 
the  power  of  stealing  anything  that  he  takes 
a  fancy  to;  he  could  steal  the  calf  from  the 
cow  or  the  foal  from  the  mare,  and  they 
130 


THE  SEVEN  STARS 

never  observe  it.  The  second  can  follow  up 
the  trace  of  any  lost  object,  though  it  have 
been  lost  for  years.  The  third  draws  a  sure 
arrow  upon  anything  that  he  can  see.  The 
fourth  can  build  an  impregnable  fortress  in 
an  instant,  and  can  hide  anything  he  chooses 
within  it,  so  that  no  one  can  possibly  find  it. 
And  the  fifth  is  as  bold  as  a  falcon  and  as 
swift  as  the  lightning  when  there  is  any- 
thing to  be  overtaken  and  caught." 

While  she  was  speaking,  her  sons,  the 
Dragons,  came  home,  and  the  mother  in- 
quired of  them  if  they  knew  anything  of 
the  whereabouts  of  the  King's  lost  daughter. 

"  To  be  sure,"  they  answered.  "  She  is 
with  a  more  powerful  Dragon  than  we.  He 
stole  her  away  from  her  father,  the  King, 
and  now  keeps  her  in  one  of  his  castles." 

"  I  adjure  you,"  interrupted  the  High 

Chamberlain,  "  help  me  to  find  her.    I  may 

on  no  account  appear  before  the  King  and 

live  unless  I  bring  his  daughter  with  me. 

131 


THE  SEVEN  STARS 

My  master  will  not  show  himself  ungrateful 
to  you." 

The  Dragons  declared  themselves  quite 
willing  to  help  him.  The  second  brother 
traced  up  the  scent,  and  the  first  brother 
stole  the  lovely  maiden  and  brought  her 
back  with  him.  But  the  more  powerful 
Dragon  pursued  after  them,  took  her  away, 
and  flew  up  into  the  air  to  carry  her  to  a 
place  of  safety. 

Then  the  third  brother  fitted  a  bolt  to  his 
crossbow,  drew  it,  sped  the  arrow,  and  hit 
that  Dragon  in  the  very  middle  of  his  heart. 
With  a  fearful  outcry  the  Dragon  fell  from 
the  clouds  and  was  dashed  to  little  bits  upon 
a  rock.  And  thus  it  would  inevitably  have 
been  with  the  King's  daughter,  whom  the 
Dragon  held  tightly  clasped,  had  not  the 
fifth  brother  flown  swiftly  and  caught  up 
the  maiden,  so  that  she  was  kept  safe  and 
sound. 

But  now  ensued  a  sudden  and  unlooked- 
132 


THE  SEVEN  STARS 

for  danger,  for  the  dead  Dragon's  brother 
drew  near,  and  several  other  monsters  with 
him;  and  it  would  soon  have  been  all  over 
with  the  brothers  if  the  fourth  had  not 
speedily  erected  a  strong  fortress,  in  which 
all  the  brothers,  the  King's  daughter,  and 
the  High  Chamberlain  safely  concealed 
themselves. 

For  a  long  time  those  hideous  Dragons 
lay  in  wait  around  the  fortress;  but  they 
finally  went  away,  having  accomplished 
nothing.  Then  the  five  brothers,  the  gra- 
cious maiden,  and  the  High  Chamberlain 
came  out  and  went  home  to  the  Dragon- 
mother. 

And  the  eldest  son  said,  "  Is  it  not  true, 
little  mother,  that  the  maiden  belongs  to  me, 
who  rescued  her  from  that  furious  Drag- 
on? "  The  second  brother  said,  "  But  you 
would  never  have  found  her  nor  rescued  her 
if  I  had  not  traced  up  the  scent."  The 
third  brother  interrupted,  "  Of  what  good 
133 


THE  SEVEN  STABS 

would  it  have  been  that  you,  eldest  brother, 
rescued  her,  and  you,  second  brother,  traced 
up  the  scent,  if  I  had  not  destroyed  the 
monster  at  the  right  moment?  Therefore, 
in  all  right  and  reason,  the  maiden  belongs 
to  me." 

Here  the  fifth  brother  struck  in.  "  By 
right  the  maiden  belongs  to  me;  for  if  I 
had  not  caught  her  up  in  the  very  nick  of 
time  she  would  not  now  be  in  the  land  of 
the  living."  And  the  fourth  brother  said, 
"  If  you  will  consider  the  whole  matter  im- 
partially, you  will  see  that  I  have  the  most 
righteous  claim  upon  the  maiden;  for  all 
your  trouble  would  have  gone  for  nothing 
if  I  had  not  made  the  castle  at  the  right 
moment  and  bidden  her,  and  you,  too,  to 
come  within  it." 

And  now  the   Chamberlain  put  in  his 

word.    "  All  your  pretensions  are  idle.    The 

maiden  is  mine;  for  if  I  had  not  told  you 

that  she  was  stolen  away,  the  first  would  not 

184 


THE  SEVEN  STARS 

have  rescued  her,  nor  the  second  traced  up 
the  scent,  nor  the  third  destroyed  the  mon- 
ster, nor  the  fifth  caught  up  the  maiden,  and 
the  fourth  would  have  concealed  no  one  in 
his  castle." 

Thus  all  the  six  strove  for  possession  of 
the  maiden,  until  the  Dragon-mother  put  in 
her  word.  "If  this  is  so,  then  you  are  all 
in  the  right;  but  the  maiden  can  surely  not 
belong  to  you  all.  But  you  can  all  take  her 
for  your  sister  and  love  and  protect  her  as 
long  as  you  and  she  live." 

And  so  they  did,  and  in  remembrance 
thereof  they  and  the  maiden  were  set  in  the 
sky,  and  can  be  seen  there  to  this  day,  and 
men  call  them  "  the  Seven  Stars." l  At 
least,  so  goes  the  story. 

"  Dragons  are  different  from  Reinecke 
and  Petz  and  Isegrim,"  observed  the  little 
boy. 

1  The  Pleiades. 

185 


THE  SEVEN  STARS 

"  Don't  you  like  them  as  well?  "  asked  the 
grandmother. 

"  I  like  them,"  answered  the  little  boy, 
"  but  I  don't  know  them  as  well  as  I  know 
Reinecke  and  Isegrim.  I  am  not  used  to 
them,  grandmother." 

"  You  will  get  used  to  them  while  you  are 
at  your  other  grandmother's,  where  you  are 
going  to-morrow,"  said  the  grandmother. 
"  The  stories  of  her  commune  are  not  at  all 
the  same  as  the  stories  of  this  commune." 

"  Why  not,  grandmother? "  asked  the 
little  boy. 

"  I  don't  know  why  not,"  answered  the 
grandmother,  "  but  it  is  always  so.  Every 
commune  has  its  own  stories.  There  are 
many  dragons  in  those  of  your  other  grand- 
mother's commune.  Now  you  are  going 
out  into  the  world,  you  will  get  very  wise, 
for  you  will  know  the  stories  of  two  com- 


munes." 


136 


CHAPTER   XIV 


MOTHER'S-MOTHER 


happy  day  had  come.  The  little 
boy  was  all  ready  for  the  journey, 
dressed  in  a  colored  shirt  hanging  over  his 
full  trousers — the  white  shirt  must  be  kept 
clean  for  Sunday,  you  know — his  kaftan 
well  belted  down  and  with  a  small  fur  col- 
lar at  the  neck,  and  on  his  head  a  high 
kolpak,  or  fur  hat,  just  like  his  father's. 
His  legs  were  covered  by  onontchi,  well 
wrapped  around  and  cross-gartered  with  col- 
ored strings,  and  on  his  feet  he  had  fur- 
lined  shoes,  for  third-class  cars  are  very  cold. 
The  little  boy's  mother  had  on  all  her  warm 
clothes,  with  a  long  fur  overcoat,  just  like 
that  the  father  wore,  over  all  her  other 
wraps ;  and  the  father,  besides  his  great  fur 
137 


MOTHER'S-MOTHER 

overcoat,  had  on  his  fur  kolpak  and  high 
fur-lined  boots,  into  the  wide  tops  of  which 
his  full  trousers  were  tucked.  He  had  a 
great  basket  in  his  hand,  containing  food 
for  the  journey  and  a  pair  of  fowls  and 
some  other  things  for  the  mother's-mother 
whom  they  were  going  to  visit.  In  his  in- 
side pocket  the  father  had  the  papers  of  the 
mir  which  he  must  carry  to  the  zemstvo. 
So  they  were  all  ready. 

All  the  men  and  children  of  the  village 
accompanied  them  to  the  station,  which  was 
in  the  midst  of  a  wide  plain  a  quarter  of  a 
league  beyond  the  last  house.  There  was  a 
good  while  to  wait ;  the  train  was  not  due  for 
half  an  hour,  but  that  did  not  matter.  The 
grown  folk  had  a  deal  of  talking  to  do — all 
the  privileges  that  they  hoped  the  starosta 
would  secure  from  the  zemstvo  for  the  com- 
mune. As  for  the  children!  Well,  this  was 
the  chance  of  their  lives,  for  their  station  had 
a  playground,  with  swings,  wooden  horses, 
138 


MOTHER'S-MOTHER 

and  giant's  strides,  and  it  was  not  often 
they  had  such  privileges,  especially  the  uni- 
formed school-children.  For  when  once  a 
Russian  child  puts  on  the  school  uniform, 
play  is  pretty  nearly  over  for  him  for  the 
rest  of  his  life.  So  they  made  the  most  of 
their  opportunity.  It  was  not  a  cold  day 
for  January,  and  if  it  had  been  they  would 
not  have  minded. 

When  the  train  came  lumbering  in,  as  it 
did  after  a  while,  half  a  dozen  more  children 
jumped  down  from  the  second  and  third 
class  cars  and  ran  to  the  playground.  The 
other  children  made  way  for  them,  for  sta- 
tion playgrounds  are  for  travelling  children, 
and  they  had  the  first  right.  Yet  there  was 
room  for  them  all.  But  the  little  boy  was  im- 
patient to  be  on  his  travels,  so  he  ran  to  his 
mother,  and  was  very  glad  when  the  men  of 
the  commune  had  said  their  last  words  to 
their  representative,  and  the  starosta  led  his 
wife  and  little  boy  to  a  good  place  in  a  com- 
189 


MOTHER'S-MOTHER 

partment  where  there  was  room  for  the 
samovar.  Presently  the  first  warning  was 
given.  The  children  came  running  from  the 
playground;  there  was  a  chorus  of  good- 
bys.  The  second  warning  sounded,  and  the 
train  jolted  away.  The  little  boy  was  a 
travelling  child  at  last! 

At  every  stop  where  there  was  a  play- 
ground— there  was  not  one  at  every  station 
— he  would  run  out  and  have  a  swing,  his 
mother  going  with  him,  for  he  was  a  little 
boy  to  be  among  strangers.  After  a  while 
he  was  hungry,  and  then  his  mother  un- 
packed her  basket  and  set  the  samovar 
a-going,  and  gave  a  lump  of  bread  and  a 
big  piece  of  sausage  to  each,  with  unlimited 
cups  of  scalding  tea  that  made  them  nice 
and  warm.  After  that  the  little  boy  leaned 
his  head  against  his  mother,  and  then — most 
wonderful! — they  were  already  at  the  capi- 
tal, and  the  stars  were  shining.  Where  had 
the  afternoon  gone? 

140 


MOTHER'S-MOTHER 

He  had  not  time  to  ask,  for  his  father 
had  swung  him  upon  his  shoulder  and  was 
carrying  him  through  the  crowd,  and  there, 
outside  the  wicket,  was  a  little  old  woman, 
with  such  a  nice  face,  who  fell  upon  his 
mother's  neck  and  kissed  her  again  and 
again. 

'  That  is  your  other  grandmother,"  said 
his  father.  *  Your  mother  has  not  seen  her 
since  she  was  married,  and  that  is  many 
years  ago." 

And  then  the  other  grandmother  caught 
the  little  boy  from  his  father's  arms  and 
kissed  him  and  cried  over  him,  till  the  little 
boy  did  not  know  whether  he  ought  to  cry 
or  not. 

He  became  very  well  acquainted  with  the 
other  grandmother  the  next  day.  She  did 
not  seem  like  his  own  dear  little  grand- 
mother at  home,  but  she  was  very  nice.  He 
called  her  mother's-mother,  because  she  was 
not  his  real  grandmother,  he  thought;  and 
141 


MOTHER'S-MOTHER 

the  other  grandmother  laughed  and  said  that 
would  do  very  well. 

In  the  afternoon,  when  his  father  had 
gone  back  to  the  zemstvo,  and  his  mother 
was  clearing  up  after  dinner,  which  she  said 
her  mother  was  not  to  do  while  she  was 
there,  the  little  boy  went  and  stood  by  his 
other  grandmother's  chair. 

"  Mother's-mother,"  he  said,  "  little 
grandmamma  told  me  that  you  knew  some 
nice  stories." 

'  Yes,"  said  mother 's-mother,  "  I  suppose 
I  do.  They  are  not  like  your  little  grand- 
mamma's stories.  The  stories  of  this  com- 
mune are  different.  They  are  more  about 
the  Vilas  than  those  of  your  commune  are. 
Yours  are  mostly  about  Reinecke  and  the 
other  beasts,  are  they  not?  " 

"  I  like  Reinecke  and  the  beasts,"  said  the 
little  boy.  "  But  I  should  like  the  Vilas,  too, 
mother 's-mother. ' ' 

"  Then  I  will  tell  you  about  them,"  said 
142 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

the  other  grandmother.  "  Sit  down  on  that 
stool — it  was  your  mother's  when  she  was  a 
little  girl.  That  is  right.  Now  I  will  tell 
you  about 

"  THE   VILA   OF   MUHLENBERG  " 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  an  aged 
widow  who  had  only  one  son,  whom  she 
watched  and  cherished  in  her  old  age.  Now 
there  was  a  great  war  at  that  time  all  over 
the  world;  every  man  who  could  bear  arms 
was  forced  to  go  into  the  army,  and  among 
others  the  widow's  son.  There  he  so  dis- 
tinguished himself  for  bravery  on  every  oc- 
casion that  he  was  promoted  to  be  Captain. 

Now  it  happened  one  time  that  they  suf- 
fered a  defeat.  Among  the  wounded  was 
our  Captain,  and  as  he  lay  on  the  ground  he 
prayed  God  to  spare  his  life,  at  least  until 
he  had  seen  his  old  mother.  He  was  in  the 
greatest  danger,  for  all  around  him  the  ene- 
my was  killing  the  wounded.  Suddenly  an 
143 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

aged  dame  stood  before  him  and  asked  him 
what  he  was  praying  for,  promising  him 
that  she  would  grant  his  wish. 

Without  taking  time  to  think,  he  an- 
swered, "  Give  me  a  horse,  that  I  may  escape 
before  the  enemy  murder  me." 

Upon  this  she  struck  upon  the  earth  with 
the  staff  that  was  in  her  hand,  and  softly 
murmured  a  few  words.  Suddenly  a  noble 
steed  stood  before  him,  all  saddled  and 
bridled ;  he  had  only  to  mount  it.  He  looked 
around  to  thank  the  old  dame,  but  she  had 
vanished. 

The  Captain  sprang  into  the  saddle,  gave 
the  horse  the  spur,  and  flew  from  the  spot 
like  an  arrow  from  the  bow.  He  rode  on 
for  a  long  time  without  noticing  in  what 
direction  the  horse  was  carrying  him,  when 
suddenly  it  stopped. 

He  looked  around  and  saw  before  him  a 
great  city  with  many  church-towers  which 
shone  so  brightly  that  they  fairly  dazzled  his 
144 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

eyes.  He  rode  into  the  city,  and  was  over- 
come with  astonishment,  for  all  around  him 
was  nothing  but  stone.  Men,  women,  ani- 
mals, everything  he  set  his  eyes  upon  was 
turned  to  stone,  for  this  was  an  enchanted 
city.  And  the  horse  was  a  Vila,  and  had 
vanished  from  under  him  as  soon  as  he  had 
entered  the  precincts  of  the  city. 

Perhaps  he  himself  would  have  remained 
the  whole  day  upon  the  spot,  as  if  turned  to 
stone,  had  he  not  suddenly  beheld  before 
him  a  maiden  with  golden  hair.  When  she 
saw  him  she  uttered  a  cry  and  hastened  up 
into  the  golden  castle. 

He  followed  close  upon  her  footsteps,  but 
before  the  castle-gate  he  met  the  same  old 
woman  who  had  given  him  the  horse.  He 
greeted  her  prettily  and  asked  her  what  was 
all  this  about — the  golden-haired  maiden  and 
the  enchanted  city.  Hereupon  the  old  dame 
told  him  the  following  story: 

"  Many,  many  years  ago  this  city  was  the 
145 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

greatest  and  the  most  beautiful  in  the  whole 
world.  An  Emperor  lived  here,  who  was  so 
benevolent  and  such  a  lover  of  justice  that 
whenever  he  heard  that  any  one  had  done 
his  neighbor  a  kindness  he  rewarded  him  so 
richly  and  with  such  distinction  that  he  could 
live  to  his  dying  day  in  peace  and  happiness. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  was  unmercifully 
severe  to  evil-doers  and  caused  every  one 
who  was  guilty  of  any  sort  of  crime  to  be 
put  to  death  at  once. 

"  For  this  reason  some  wicked  men  killed 
him  and  his  only  son.  But  as  they  were 
murdering  the  son  they  heard  an  awful 
voice,  which  said: 

'  Miserable  wretches !  you  have  killed 
him  who  was  your  benefactor  and  father. 
Be  accursed,  therefore,  for  a  thousand  years, 
until  a  youth  shall  come  and  loose  you  from 
this  ban! ' 

"  But  the  Emperor's  daughter,  whom  the 
Lord  God  had  given  to  me,  remained  alive, 
146 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

for  God  said,  '  She  shall  be  the  reward  of 
him  who  frees  you.'  Meantime,  however, 
she  was  turned  to  stone  until  the  moment 
when  you  entered  the  city.  Then  she  awoke, 
cried,  *  The  Liberator  is  come ! '  and  brought 
the  news  to  me.  You  yourself  have  seen 
her." 

So  spoke  the  old  dame,  and,  full  of  joy, 
the  young  man  asked  her  what  he  was  to 
do  in  order  to  loose  the  city  from  the  spell. 
She  answered: 

"  I  can  give  you  no  counsel,  but  you  will 
soon  find  that  out  above.  And  now,  as  you 
have  no  more  need  of  me,  farewell,  in  God's 
name!  But  first  I  will  tell  you  who  I  am. 
I  am  a  Vila.  If  ever  you  should  fall  into  any 
trouble,  you  have  only  to  call,  *  Vila,  stand 
by  me!'  and  you  shall  be  helped."  She 
spoke,  and  was  already  gone. 

The  young  man  and  the  maiden  were  now 
in  doubt  as  to  what  they  ought  to  do.  They 
would  gladly  have  wedded  each  other,  but 
147 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

where  find  a  priest,  or  even  any  one  else? 
So  they  went  into  a  church  to  pray  to  God; 
and  the  maid  said  to  the  youth,  "  From  this 
hour  you  are  my  husband  and  I  am  your 
wife  till  death.  But  go  at  least  and  set  the 
bells  a-ringing,  that  our  nuptials  may  be 
celebrated  in  some  way." 

Hardly  had  the  first  note  pealed  forth 
from  the  bells  when  everything  breathed 
and  lived — the  men,  the  beasts,  everything, 
in  short,  which  had  been  turned  to  stone. 
Then  all  the  people  broke  out  into  the  cry, 
"  God  save  our  Liberator,  now  and  ever- 
more!" 

The  first  thing  was  to  celebrate  a  mag- 
nificent wedding,  when  the  pop  united  the 
pair  forever  in  the  presence  of  the  whole 
assembled  people.  Every  one  rejoiced,  eat- 
ing and  drinking  as  if  they  never  meant  to 
leave  off. 

The  young  couple  lived  for  several  years 
in  joy  and  happiness,  until  at  last  the  King 
148 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

was  overcome  with  an  ardent  longing  to  see 
his  dear  mother.  He  confided  this  wish  to 
his  wife,  whereupon  she  led  him  into  the 
royal  stables  and  presented  him  with  four 
horses,  saying: 

"  Here,  I  give  you  these  four  horses. 
You  must  know  that  they  are  Vilas,  and 
they  will  take  you  to  your  home,  for  you  have 
no  idea  how  far  away  it  is.  But  if  any  one 
there  asks  you  where  you  have  been  and 
what  you  have  been  doing  all  this  time,  be- 
ware of  telling  them  the  truth,  for  if  you 
relate  your  adventures  the  Vilas  will  vanish, 
and  you  will  never  be  able  to  come  back  to 
me  again." 

He  promised  her  everything  that  she 
asked  and  set  out  for  home.  When  he  ar- 
rived he  found  his  dear  mother  no  longer 
living.  His  heart  was  wrung  with  sorrow, 
for  there  he  stood  alone  in  the  world,  brother- 
less,  sisterless,  without  a  single  relative. 

The  people  questioned  him  incessantly, 
149 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

until  at  last  in  a  moment  of  weakness  he 
yielded  to  their  importunities  and  told  them 
his  story.  But  the  words  had  hardly  passed 
his  lips  when  the  horses  vanished.  He  was 
inconsolable  for  their  loss,  for  he  loved  his 
wife  more  than  his  own  soul. 

He  therefore  determined  to  seek  her  out, 
even  if  it  cost  him  his  head.  So  he  travelled 
on  and  on  and  on  until  he  came  to  the 
Moon.  There  was  no  one  at  home  but  the 
Moon-inother,  for  the  Moon  had  just  gone 
out.  When  the  Moon-mother  saw  the  young 
man  she  was  full  of  pity  for  him,  and  said: 

"  Do  you  not  know,  unhappy  one,  that 
my  son  will  tear  you  in  pieces  as  soon  as 
he  gets  home?  But  come,  I  will  hide  you!  " 
And  she  hid  him  in  a  chest. 

When  at  last  the  Moon  came  home,  tired 
and  cross,  he  called  out  in  a  thundering 
voice,  "  Woman,  there  is  a  Christian  soul 
staying  here!  Out  with  him!  " 

His  mother  besought  her  son  to  spare  the 
150 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

young  man's  life,  and  finally  she  succeeded 
in  mollifying  him. 

"  Well,  then,  I  won't  do  him  any  harm," 
said  the  Moon;  "  only  let  him  show  himself." 

Upon  this  the  old  mother  opened  the  chest 
and  brought  the  young  man  before  her  son. 
The  youth  drew  near  to  the  Moon,  bowed 
low  before  him,  and  said: 

"  Mighty  Moon!  you  shed  your  mild  rays 
over  the  whole  earth;  tell  me  if  you  know 
anything  of  a  city  called  Muhlenberg." 

The  Moon  replied,  "  I  indeed  shine  over 
the  whole  round  earth,  but  I  have  never 
heard  of  any  Muhlenberg.  Therefore,  I 
counsel  you,  seek  out  my  brother  the  Sun; 
perhaps  he  can  tell  you  something  about  it." 

The  young  man  thanked  the  Moon,  and 
went  to  the  Moon's  brother,  the  Sun,  and 
said,  "  Your  brother  the  Moon  sends  greet- 
ing, and  says,  in  case  you  know  anything 
about  the  city  Muhlenberg,  you  are  to  tell 


me." 


151 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

The  Sun  replied  that  he  knew  nothing  of 
any  such  city,  and  sent  him  to  the  North- 
wind,  saying,  "  This  wind  blows  every- 
where and  searches  out  the  most  hidden 
corners;  perhaps  he  knows  the  city." 

But  the  North-wind  sent  him  to  the  East- 
wind,  and  the  East-wind  sent  him  to  the 
West-wind,  and  the  West-wind  sent  him  to 
the  South-wind,  the  most  fearful  of  all  the 
winds.1 

When  the  young  man  appeared  before 
the  South-wind,  he  bowed  low  and  said,  "  I 
bring  you  greetings  from  all  your  relatives, 
the  Sun,  the  Moon,  the  North-wind,  the 
East- wind,  and  the  West- wind,  and  you  are 
to  give  me  some  information  about  the  city 
Muhlenberg." 

Said  the  South-wind,  "  I  have  just  come 
from  Muhlenberg.  There  will  soon  be 
grand  doings  in  that  city,  for  the  Queen  is 
going  to  be  married." 

1  This  is  evidence  that  the  story  originated  in  lands  where 
the  sirocco  is  dreaded. 

152 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

Then  the  young  man  implored  the  South- 
wind  to  take  him  there.  The  South-wind 
answered : 

"It  is  pretty  far  from  here,  and  you 
don't  know  the  way;  but  take  this  apple, 
and  wherever  it  rolls  do  you  follow  it,  and 
you  will  come  to  Muhlenberg." 

The  young  man  bade  the  South-wind 
adieu  and  followed  the  apple,  going  on  for 
a  long,  long  time.  Suddenly  he  came  upon 
some  robbers.  He  went  up  to  them  as  if 
they  were  old  acquaintances,  exclaiming, 
"  Good-day  to  you,  brothers!  Are  you  right 
well?  Here  I  am  with  you  at  last! " 

They  really  believed  that  he  was  one  of 
themselves,  so  they  took  him  with  them,  and 
showed  him  a  coat  which  had  the  power  of 
rendering  invisible  the  person  who  wore  it. 
Next  they  showed  him  a  pair  of  boots  that 
would  enable  one  to  put  a  mile  behind  him 
at  every  step.  He  put  on  both  the  coat  and 
the  boots,  as  if  to  test  the  truth  of  the  story, 
153 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

and  immediately  made  off.  The  robbers 
could  not  even  think  of  trying  to  follow 
him,  since  they  could  not  see  him. 

So  he  rolled  the  apple  again  along  the 
ground  before  him,  and  at  last  he  arrived 
at  Muhlenberg.  He  heard  music  in  every 
part  of  the  city,  cannons  were  thundering, 
and  above  all  swept  the  South-wind. 

When  the  South- wind  saw  him  he  went 
down  and  greeted  him,  saying,  "So  here  we 
are,  at  last,  in  Muhlenberg! " 

The  young  man  now  went  into  the  city, 
and,  being  still  invisible,  he  helped  himself 
to  all  the  food  and  drink  he  wanted,  and 
refreshed  himself  with  his  gossip,  the  South- 
wind.  Then,  taking  leave  of  him,  he  made 
his  way  into  the  royal  palace  which  had  once 
been  his  own.  There  he  saw  the  Queen  be- 
side the  newly  chosen  spouse  whom  she  was 
about  to  marry,  and  heard  her  sigh: 

"  Just  seven  years  ago  to-day  my  beloved 
husband  deserted  me! " 
154 


THE  VILA  OF  MUHLENBERG 

Upon  this  he  began  to  sing  a  song  which 
he  used  to  be  always  singing  when  he  was 
king.  She  recognized  it  at  once, 'and,  full 
of  joy,  cried  out,  "  That  is  my  husband, 
my  first  good  fortune !  My  wedding-guests, 
drink  the  foaming  wine  and  take  your  leave. 
I  have  no  need  to  marry,  for  my  husband 
has  come  home  again,  my  only  joy  and 
bliss!" 

And  from  this  time  they  lived  long  and 
happily  together.  And  the  Queen  bore  to 
her  husband  a  son  with  a  mole  like  a  golden 
sword  upon  his  arm,  and  a  beautiful  golden- 
haired  daughter. 

So  ends  the  story. 

"  I  should  like  to  go  to  the  Moon,"  ob- 
served the  little  boy. 

"  They  don't  go  nowadays,"  said  the  other 
grandmother.  "  That  was  long  ago,  before 
my  great-grandmother  was  born." 


155 


CHAPTER   XV 

THE   LITTLE   BOY   HOMESICK 


rriHE  little  boy  did  not  know  what  to  do 
-*•  with  himself,  for  they  were  very  busy 
getting  dinner  ready  against  his  father's 
return  from  the  zemstvo.  He  did  not  know 
how  to  play  in  this  house  as  he  did  in  his 
own  ;  he  felt  a  little  homesick,  and  presently 
he  began  to  cry. 

'  What  does  that  mean?  "  asked  his  moth- 
er, who  was  making  the  onion-soup. 

The  little  boy  only  cried  the  more.  "  I 
want  my  little  grandmamma!"  he  said. 
"  She  would  tell  me  a  story." 

"  I'll  tell  you  a  story,"   said  the  other 

grandmother,    who    was    making    noodles. 

"  Come  and  stand  by  me.    But  there  must 

be  no  more  crying,  and  it  must  be  a  very 

156 


A  SHORT  STORY 


short  story,  for  I  am  busy.     Is  that  a  bar- 


gain? " 

The  little  boy  dried  his  eyes  and  stood  by 
the  other  grandmother  to  hear 

A   SHORT   STORY 

Once  upon  a  time  a  Hungarian  was  cross- 
ing a  brook.  He  had  on  a  woollen  coat  with 
short  sleeves.  As  long  as  were  the  sleeves, 
so  long  will  be  this  story.  If  the  sleeves 
had  been  longer,  the  story  would  have  been 
longer  too. 

"  That  is  a  very  short  story,"  said  the  lit- 
tle boy. 

"  So  I  promised  you,"  said  the  other 
grandmother.  "  I  have  kept  my  part  of 
the  bargain,  have  I  not?  Now  do  you 
keep  yours,  and  after  dinner  I  will  tell 
you  a  longer  one.  Only  remember,  no  more 
tears!" 

The  little  boy  kept  his  part  of  the  bar- 
157 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

gain,   and   after  dinner  the  other  grand- 
mother told  him  about 

THE  GOLDEN  APPLE-TREE  AND  THE 
NINE   PEAHENS 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  an  Emperor 
who  had  three  sons.  Before  his  palace  stood 
a  golden  apple-tree  which  bloomed  and  bore 
ripe  fruit  in  one  and  the  self -same  night ;  but 
it  was  always  plundered  by  some  one  who 
left  not  the  slightest  trace  behind. 

At  last  the  father  said  to  his  sons,  "  Who 
can  have  made  away  with  the  fruit  of  our 
apple-tree? " 

Upon  this  the  eldest  son  said,  "  I  will 
watch  the  tree  to-night,  and  will  teach  the 
rogue  to  know  better!  " 

So  when  twilight  began  to  fall  he  went 
and  laid  himself  down  beneath  the  apple- 
tree  to  guard  it.  But  he  fell  asleep  just  as 
the  apples  began  to  ripen,  and  when  at  dawn 
he  awoke,  the  tree  had  been  already  stripped. 
158 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

He  therefore  went  to  his  father  and  truth- 
fully told  him  the  whole  story. 

Then  the  second  son  pledged  himself  to 
guard  the  tree;  but  it  happened  with  him 
precisely  as  with  the  other.  He  fell  asleep 
under  the  apple-tree,  and  when  the  dawn- 
ing light  awoke  him  not  an  apple  remained 
upon  the  tree. 

It  was  now  the  turn  of  the  youngest  son 
to  watch  the  tree.  He  made  himself  ready, 
went  out  to  the  tree,  prepared  his  bed  im- 
mediately under  it,  and  laid  himself  down 
to  sleep.  Just  at  midnight  he  suddenly 
awoke.  He  cast  a  glance  upward  into  the 
tree,  the  fruit  of  which  was  just  beginning 
to  ripen.  The  whole  castle  glittered  with  its 
golden  sheen. 

At  that  very  moment  nine  golden  Pea- 
hens came  flying  by;  eight  of  them  settled 
upon  the  apple-tree,  but  the  ninth  flew  down 
upon  the  young  man's  bed  and  transformed 
herself  into  a  beautiful  maiden — a  more 
159 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

beautiful  was  not  to  be  found  in  the  whole 
empire. 

So  the  two  kissed  and  caressed  each  other 
until  after  midnight,  when  the  maiden  stood 
up,  thanked  him  for  the  apples,  and  would 
have  gone,  but  he  entreated  her  earnestly  to 
leave  him  at  least  one.  She  gave  him  two — 
one  he  was  to  keep  for  himself,  the  other  he 
might  give  to  his  father.  Then  she  trans- 
formed herself  into  a  Peahen  and  flew  away 
with  the  others. 

At  daybreak  the  imperial  Prince  arose 
and  carried  the  apples  to  his  father,  who 
was  overjoyed  at  the  sight,  and  heaped 
praises  upon  his  son. 

When  evening  came  again  the  imperial 
Prince  made  ready  his  resting-place,  as  on 
the  former  evening,  in  order  to  watch  the 
apple-tree.  Having  had  the  same  experi- 
ences as  on  the  preceding  night,  he  again 
brought  two  golden  apples  to  his  father. 

When  this  had  gone  on  for  several  nights 
160 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

the  brothers  became  envious,  because  they 
had  not  succeeded  in  guarding  the  apples. 
So  they  went  to  an  old  hag,  who  promised 
to  spy  upon  the  Prince  and  discover  how  he 
managed  to  guard  the  apple-tree  so  suc- 
cessfully. When  evening  came  on,  the  old 
woman  stole  out  to  the  tree,  crept  under  the 
bed,  and  there  hid  herself. 

Presently  the  youngest  imperial  Prince 
came  out  and  betook  himself,  as  usual,  to 
rest.  About  midnight  the  nine  Peahens 
came,  and  eight  settled  down  upon  the  tree 
while  the  ninth  flew  down  to  the  bed  and 
transformed  herself  into  a  maiden.  The 
old  hag  slyly  seized  the  long  braid  of  the 
maiden's  hair,  which  hung  down  below 
the  edge  of  the  bed,  and  cut  it  off.  But  the 
maiden  sprang  up  quickly,  transformed  her- 
self again  into  a  Peahen  and  flew  away, 
with  all  her  companions  following  her,  and 
so  vanished. 

The  imperial  Prince  sprang  up  and  cried 
161 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

out,  "  What  is  this?  "  He  searched  around 
and  perceived  the  old  hag  under  the  bed, 
seized  her,  dragged  her  out,  and  the  next 
day  commanded  that  she  should  be  put  to 
death. 

But  the  Peahens  never  returned  to  the 
apple-tree,  and  the  imperial  Prince  mourned 
and  bewailed  himself  without  ceasing.  At 
last  he  resolved  to  search  for  his  little  Pea- 
hen throughout  the  whole  world,  and  never 
return  home  until  he  had  found  her.  He 
told  his  resolution  to  his  father,  who  tried 
to  turn  him  from  it,  advising  him  to  put  the 
idea  out  of  his  head,  and  promising  to  find 
him  another  maiden,  though  he  should  have 
to  search  through  his  whole  empire.  But 
he  spoke  to  deaf  ears;  the  prince  was  firm, 
and  set  out  with  his  servant  to  seek  for  his 
Peahen. 

For  a  long  time  he  wandered  up  and 
down  the  world,  and  one  day  he  came  to  a 
lake,  beside  which  he  saw  a  magnificent 
162 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

great  castle.  In  the  castle  he  found  an  an- 
cient dame,  the  Empress,  and  a  little  girl, 
her  daughter.  He  asked  the  dame,  "  In 
Heaven's  name,  little  mother,  can  you  give 
me  any  news  about  nine  golden  Peahens? " 

And  the  dame  answered,  "  To  be  sure  I 
can,  my  son!  They  come  every  midnight 
to  bathe  in  this  lake.  But  leave  those  Pea- 
hens in  peace.  You  shall  have  my  little 
daughter,  a  splendid  girl,  and  all  my  treas- 
ures shall  be  yours  as  well." 

But  he  had  no  ear  for  the  old  dame's 
offer  and  no  eye  for  the  daughter,  being 
filled  with  longing  to  see  the  Peahens.  He 
arose  early  in  the  morning  and  went  out  to 
watch  for  the  Peahens  on  the  border  of  the 
lake. 

But  the  old  dame  had  bribed  the  Prince's 
servant  and  given  him  a  pair  of  bellows 
such  as  one  blows  the  fire  with,  adding  these 
directions : 

"  Do  you  see  these  bellows?  When  your 
163 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

master  goes  down  to  the  lake,  blow  slyly 
upon  his  neck  with  them.  He  will  then  fall 
into  a  deep  sleep  and  will  not  be  able  to 
speak  with  the  Peahens." 

And  to  this  the  wretch  of  a  servant  con- 
sented. 

When  they  were  upon  the  lake-shore  he 
seized  a  favorable  opportunity  and  blew 
upon  his  master's  neck  with  the  bellows, 
whereupon  the  poor  Prince  fell  into  a 
deathlike  slumber.  He  had  barely  fallen 
asleep  when  the  nine  Peahens  arrived ;  eight 
alighted  in  the  lake,  but  the  ninth  flew  to 
the  Prince  upon  his  steed,  and  began  to  em- 
brace and  try  to  waken  him.  "  Awake,  my 
life !  Awake,  my  heart !  Awake,  my  soul !  " 
But  he  moved  no  more  than  the  dead. 

When  the  Peahens  had  bathed  they  all 
flew  away,  and  he  immediately  awoke  and 
asked  the  servant,  "  What  is  the  matter? 
Have  they  been  here? " 

The  servant  answered  that  nine  Peahens 
164 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

had  flown  down  to  the  lake;  eight  had  gone 
into  the  water,  but  the  ninth  had  come  to 
him,  the  Prince,  upon  his  horse,  had  caressed 
and  tried  to  awaken  him.  At  these  words 
the  poor  imperial  Prince  had  nearly  laid 
violent  hands  upon  himself. 

The  next  day  he  again  mounted  his  steed 
and  rode  slowly  along  the  lake-shore,  his 
servant  behind  him.  The  servant  again 
found  an  opportunity  to  blow  upon  his  neck 
with  the  bellows,  whereupon  the  Prince  fell 
into  a  deathlike  slumber.  Scarcely  was  he 
asleep  when  the  nine  Peahens  arrived;  eight 
went  down  into  the  lake,  but  the  ninth  flew 
to  him  upon  his  steed,  and  began  to  em- 
brace him  and  try  to  awaken  him,  saying, 
"Awake,  my  life!  Awake,  my  heart! 
Awake,  my  soul!" 

But  all  in  vain;  he  slept  sounder  than  the 
dead. 

Then  she  said  to  the  servant,  "  Tell  your 
master  to  wait  for  me  here  again  to-morrow, 
165 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

for  he  will  never  see  us  here  again  after 
that,"  and  she  again  flew  away. 

She  was  scarcely  gone  when  the  imperial 
Prince  awoke  and  asked  the  servant,  "  Have 
they  been  here?  "  The  servant  replied,  "  To 
be  sure,  and  they  left  word  for  you  to  ex- 
pect them  here  again  to-morrow;  but  after 
that  they  will  never  again  come  to  this 
place." 

When  the  unhappy  Prince  heard  this  he 
was  beside  himself,  and  tore  his  hair  for 
grief  and  pain. 

At  dawn  of  the  third  day  he  again  went 
down  to  the  lake  and  rode  along  the  shore, 
but  at  the  fleetest  pace  possible,  in  order  not 
to  be  overtaken  by  sleep.  But  even  this 
time  the  servant  found  an  opportunity  to 
blow  upon  his  neck  with  the  bellows,  where- 
upon the  Prince  immediately  stretched  him- 
self out  upon  the  horse's  back  and  fell 
asleep. 

He  was  hardly  asleep  when  the  nine  Pea- 
166 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

hens  came  flying  to  the  spot.  Eight  of  them 
went  down  into  the  lake,  but  the  ninth  flew 
to  him  upon  the  horse  and  began  to  embrace 
him  and  to  call,  "  Awake,  my  life!  Awake, 
my  heart!  Awake,  my  soul!"  But  all  in 
vain,  for  he  slept  like  the  dead. 

Then   the   Peahen   said   to   the   servant, 

1  When  your  master  awakes,  say  to  him,  he 

must  drive  the  upper  wedge  after  the  lower 

before  he  will  be  able  to  find  me."     With 

these  words  the  Peahens  flew  away. 

When  they  were  gone  the  imperial  Prince 
awoke  and  said  to  the  servant,  "  Have  they 
been  here?  "  The  servant  answered,  "  To 
be  sure,  and  the  one  which  seated  herself 
upon  your  horse  gave  me  orders  to  tell  you 
that  you  must  drive  the  upper  wedge  after 
the  lower,  and  then  you  would  find  her." 

When  he  heard  this  the  Prince  drew  his 
sword  and  struck  off  the  servant's  head. 
Then  he  went  on  alone  through  the  world. 

After  long,  long  wanderings  he  reached 
167 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

a  high  mountain,  where  he  spent  the  night 
with  a  hermit.  From  him  he  asked  tidings 
of  the  nine  Peahens.  The  hermit  answered: 

"  My  son,  you  are  surely  fortune's  own 
child!  God  himself  has  led  you  in  the  right 
way.  It  is  hardly  more  than  half  a  day's 
journey  from  here  to  there.  You  have  only 
to  ride  straight  forward  and  you  will  come 
to  a  great  gate.  Then  turn  to  the  right  and 
you  will  come  straight  to  the  city  where  their 
castle  is." 

By  morning  dawn  the  Prince  awoke, 
dressed  himself,  pressed  his  warmest  thanks 
upon  the  hermit,  and  set  out  in  the  direc- 
tion indicated.  He  went  straight  forward, 
reached  the  great  gate,  passed  through  it, 
and  about  noon  he  perceived  a  dazzling 
city,  at  sight  of  which  his  heart  cried  out 
for  joy. 

In  the  city  he  inquired  for  the  castle  of 
the  golden  Peahens.  At  the  castle-gate  a 
guard  stopped  him,  asked  after  his  country 
168 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 
A 

and  station,  and  when  he  had  given  the  re- 
quired information  the  guard  went  in  to  an- 
nounce him  to  the  Empress. 

When  she  heard  of  his  arrival  she  ran  to 
meet  him  like  one  beside  herself — being,  of 
course,  in  human  form;  and  giving  him  her 
arm  she  led  him  into  the  castle.  Great  joy 
reigned  through  all  the  place,  and  after  a 
few  days  the  pair  were  married,  and  he  re- 
mained thenceforth  beside  his  beloved  wife. 

After  a  time  the  Empress  went  on  an 
excursion,  leaving  the  Prince  at  home  in 
the  castle.  Before  going  she  gave  him  the 
keys  of  the  twelve  rooms  on  the  ground 
floor,  with  the  words,  "  You  may  go  into 
all  of  them  except  the  twelfth.  Open  that 
one  on  no  account,  for  you  stake  your  head 
in  that  game."  With  this  warning  she  went 
away. 

The  imperial  Prince  remained  alone  in 
the  castle,  and  began  to  wonder,  "  What 
can  be  in  that  twelfth  room? "  Upon  this 
169 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

he  opened  one  room  after  the  other,  and 
when  he  came  to  the  twelfth  he  hesitated 
awhile  about  opening  it.  But  the  thought, 
"  What  can  be  in  there?  "  gave  him  no  rest. 

He  therefore  resolved  to  open  the  room; 
and  lo !  in  the  middle  of  it  stood  a  great  open 
cask  encircled  with  iron  hoops,  and  a  voice 
from  within  cried,  "  In  Heaven's  name, 
brother,  I  adjure  thee,  give  me  a  glass  of 
water!  I  am  perishing  with  thirst!  " 

The  imperial  Prince  took  a  glass  of  water 
and  poured  it  into  the  cask,  whereupon  one 
hoop  of  the  cask  fell  off.  Then  again  the 
voice  cried  out  of  the  cask,  "  For  Heaven's 
sake,  brother,  I  am  perishing  with  thirst! 
Give  me  another  glass  of  water! " 

The  imperial  Prince  poured  in  another 
glass  of  water,  and  the  second  hoop  fell 
from  the  cask.  A  third  time  the  voice  cried 
from  the  cask,  "  In  Heaven's  name,  brother, 
I  am  perishing  with  thirst!  Give  me  one 
more  glass  of  water! " 
170 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

The  imperial  Prince  poured  in  a  third 
glass,  whereupon  the  third  hoop  dropped 
off ,  the  cask  fell  asunder,  and  a  Dragon  flew 
out,  and  meeting  the  Empress  upon  the  way, 
he  carried  her  off  as  a  prize.  Soon  her  at- 
tendants came  in  with  the  news,  and  the  un- 
happy imperial  Prince  knew  not  what  to  do 
for  grief. 

He  finally  decided  to  set  out  once  more 
in  search  of  his  wife,  and  so  he  wandered  a 
long  time  up  and  down  the  world  until  he 
came  to  a  sheet  of  water  upon  the  border  of 
which  he  saw  a  little  Fish  floundering  about 
in  a  puddle.  When  the  Fish  saw  the  Prince 
he  begged  him  earnestly: 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  be  a  brother  to  me 
and  throw  me  back  into  the  water!  Some 
day  I  may  be  of  the  greatest  use  to  you. 
Only  pull  off  one  of  my  scales,  and  if  you 
need  my  help  rub  it  a  little." 

The  imperial  Prince  took  up  the  Fish  and 
pulled  out  one  of  its  scales.  He  threw  the 
171 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

Fish  into  the  water,  but  the  scale  he  wrapped 
up  in  his  handkerchief. 

After  a  time,  while  he  was  still  wandering 
about  in  the  wide  world,  he  came  upon  a 
Fox  which  was  caught  in  a  trap.  When  the 
Fox  saw  him  he  cried,  "  For  Heaven's  sake, 
be  a  brother  to  me  and  set  me  free  from  this 
trap !  I  shall  soon  have  occasion  to  do  you 
service;  only  take  one  of  my  hairs,  and  when 
you  need  my  service  rub  it  a  little."  So  the 
imperial  Prince  took  the  hair  and  set  the 
Fox  at  liberty. 

Later,  as  he  was  going  over  a  high  moun- 
tain, he  found  a  Wolf  in  a  trap.  The  Wolf 
also  said  to  him  when  he  saw  him,  "  For 
Heaven's  sake,  be  a  brother  to  me  and  set  me 
free.  I  will  be  your  helper  in  time  of  need ; 
only  take  out  one  of  my  hairs,  and  if  you 
need  my  aid  rub  it  a  little." 

So  the  imperial  Prince  took  the  hair  and 
set  the  Wolf  free,  and  then  went  on  his 
journey. 

172 


The  third  hoop  dropped,  off;  the  cask  fell  asunder,  and  a 
dragon  flew  out 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

After  a  long  time  he  met  a  man,  to  whom 
he  said,  "  In  the  name  of  Heaven,  brother, 
have  you  ever  heard  where  the  Dragon-em- 
peror's castle  is?  " 

The  man  cheerfully  told  him,  even  to  the 
very  moment  when  he  would  best  present 
himself  there.  The  imperial  Prince  ex- 
pressed his  thanks,  went  straight  on,  and  at 
last,  nearly  dead  with  fatigue,  he  arrived  at 
the  Dragon's  castle.  He  found  his  beloved 
one  there,  and  both  were  overjoyed  at  the 
meeting. 

Then  they  took  counsel  as  to  the  best  way 
to  attempt  a  flight.  They  finally  came  to 
a  decision,  and,  making  ready  with  all  de- 
spatch, they  mounted  their  horses  to  flee. 
But  they  had  hardly  left  the  castle  when  the 
Dragon  came  riding  home.  He  entered  the 
castle,  but  the  Empress  was  gone! 

So  he  said  to  his  horse,  "  What  shall  we 
do  now?  Shall  we  eat  and  drink  comfort- 
ably, or  shall  we  hasten  after  the  fugitives?  " 
173 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

The  horse  replied,  "Eat  and  drink;  we 
shall  soon  overtake  them.  That  is  the  least 
of  your  troubles." 

After  dinner,  therefore,  the  Dragon 
mounted  his  horse,  and  in  a  trice  had  over- 
taken the  fugitives.  When  he  came  up  to 
them  he  snatched  the  Empress  from  the 
Prince,  with  the  words,  "  Go,  in  God's  name! 
I  forgive  you  this  time,  because  you  gave 
me  water;  but  never  come  back  again,  as 
you  value  your  life." 

The  unhappy  Prince  went  on  a  little  far- 
ther, but  the  longing  of  his  heart  was  too 
strong,  and  he  turned  about.  The  next  day 
he  reappeared  in  the  Dragon's  castle.  He 
found  the  Empress  alone  and  drowned  in 
tears.  They  again  took  counsel  how  they 
might  escape,  and  the  imperial  Prince  thus 
spoke  his  mind: 

"  When  the  Dragon  comes  home,  ask  him 
where  he  obtained  that  horse.  Then  do  you 
tell  me,  that  I  may  try  to  get  one  of  the 
174 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

same  kind,  to  outrun  him  if  possible."  With 
these  words  he  went  away. 

When  the  Dragon  came  home  the  Em- 
press coaxed  and  cajoled  him,  talking  of  all 
sorts  of  things,  until  at  last  she  said,  "  Well, 
upon  my  word,  you  have  a  fleet  horse !  Tell 
me,  in  Heaven's  name,  where  did  you  get 
him?" 

He  replied,  "  Where  I  got  him  it  would 
not  be  easy  to  get  another.  In  such-and- 
such  a  high  mountain  lives  an  old  woman 
who  has  twelve  horses,  each  one  finer  than 
the  other,  all  standing  before  their  mangers. 
But  in  the  corner  stands  a  wretched,  mangy 
horse;  at  least  he  looks  so  at  a  first  glance, 
but  in  fact  he  is  the  best  one  of  all.  He  is 
the  brother  of  my  horse.  Heaven  itself 
would  not  be  too  far  off  for  the  owner  of 
that  steed.  But  whoever  would  get  him 
from  that  old  hag  must  serve  her  for  three 
days.  She  has  a  mare  and  a  foal,  and  she 
will  require  that  they  be  watched  for  three 
175 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

nights.  Whoever  succeeds  in  doing  so  may 
choose  among  her  horses.  But  if  any  one 
enters  her  service  and  fails  to  keep  watch 
of  the  mare  and  colt,  off  goes  his  head! " 

The  next  day  when  the  Dragon  was  from 
home  the  imperial  Prince  came  to  learn  what 
the  Empress  had  discovered.  Then  he  went 
to  that  high  mountain  where  the  old  woman 
was,  and  greeted  her  with,  "  God  bless  you, 
little  mother ! "  and  she  answered  with  the 
pious  greeting,  "  God  help  you,  my  little 
son!  What  good  luck  brings  you  here?  " 

He:    "I    have   a   mind   to   enter   your 


service." 


She:  "  Very  well,  my  little  son.  If  you 
will  keep  watch  of  the  mare  and  foal  for 
three  whole  days,  then  you  may  take  your 
choice  among  my  horses ;  but  if  you  fail,  off 
goes  your  head! " 

Upon  this  she  led  him  into  the  courtyard. 
It  was  surrounded  by  a  close  paling,  and  on 
every  pale  was  stuck  a  human  head.  Only 
176 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

one  was  unoccupied,  and  this  one  cried  in- 
cessantly, "  Old  woman,  put  a  head  here! " 

The  old  woman  showed  all  this  to  the 
Prince,  with  the  words,  "  You  see,  all  these 
were  in  my  service  without  being  able  to 
guard  the  mare." 

The  imperial  Prince  was  not  to  be  fright- 
ened by  such  an  exhibition,  but  remained  to 
serve  the  old  woman.  When  it  grew  dark 
he  mounted  the  mare  and  rode  out  into  the 
field,  the  foal  running  along  beside  the 
mother.  He  sat  constantly  upon  her  back, 
but  toward  midnight  he  fell  asleep,  and 
when  toward  dawn  he  awoke  he  found  him- 
self astride  a  block  of  wood,  holding  fast  to 
the  halter. 

When  he  saw  this  he  was  filled  with  hor- 
ror, and  sprang  up  to  search  for  the  mare. 
In  the  course  of  his  search  he  came  upon  a 
piece  of  water.  It  reminded  him  of  the  lit- 
tle Fish  which  he  had  rescued  from  the  pud- 
dle and  thrown  into  the  lake.  He  therefore 
177 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

took  the  scale  out  of  his  handkerchief  and 
rubbed  it  a  little  between  his  fingers.  The 
Fish  immediately  spoke  from  the  water, 
saying  to  him,  "  What  is  your  desire,  brother 
soul? " 

He  answered,  "  That  old  hag's  mare  has 
given  me  the  slip.  I  know  not  where  to  find 
her." 

The  Fish  returned,  "  She  is  here  with  us; 
she  has  transformed  herself  into  a  fish  and 
the  foal  into  a  little  fish.  Just  strike  upon 
the  water  with  the  halter  and  say,  '  The  old 
hag's  mare  still  lives! '  " 

So  he  struck  upon  the  water,  saying, 
"  The  old  hag's  mare  still  lives!"  and  the 
mare  became  what  she  had  been  before  and 
swam  to  the  shore  with  her  foal.  He  there- 
fore put  the  halter  upon  her  neck  again, 
mounted  her,  and  returned  to  the  house,  the 
foal  running  along  by  her  side. 

When  they  reached  the  house  the  old 
woman  gave  him  food ;  but  she  led  the  mare 
178 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

into  the  stable  and  beat  her  with  the  oven- 
fork,  saying,  "  Go  among  the  fishes,  you 
wretch!" 

The  mare  answered,  "  Indeed,  I  did  go 
among  the  fishes,  but  they  are  in  league  with 
him  and  they  betrayed  me." 

Upon  this  the  old  hag  rejoined,  "  Then 
go  among  the  foxes! " 

Before  dark  the  Prince  again  mounted 
the  mare  and  went  out  into  the  field,  the 
foal  running  alongside.  He  sat  continually 
upon  the  mare,  but  toward  midnight  he  fell 
asleep  upon  her  back,  and  when  he  awoke 
he  found  himself  astride  a  block  of  wood, 
holding  fast  to  the  halter. 

When  he  saw  this  he  was  overcome  with 
terror  and  sprang  upon  his  feet  to  seek  the 
mare.  Suddenly  he  remembered  what  the 
old  woman  had  said  to  the  mare,  and  he 
drew  the  Fox's  hair  out  of  his  kerchief, 
rubbed  it  between  his  fingers  the  least 
bit,  and  behold!  the  Fox  stood  before 
179 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

him,  saying,  "  What  is  the  matter,  brother 
soul? " 

The  Prince  answered,  ' '  The  old  hag9s 
mare  has  escaped  me,  and  I  do  not  know 
where  to  find  her." 

The  Fox:  "She  is  among  us;  she  has 
changed  herself  into  a  fox  and  the  foal  into 
a  fox-cub.  Just  strike  upon  the  ground 
with  the  halter  and  say,  '  The  old  hag's 
mare  still  lives!' 

So  the  Prince  struck  upon  the  earth  with 
the  halter,  saying,  "  The  old  hag's  mare  still 
lives ! "  and  the  mare  again  returned  to  her 
former  shape  and  stood  before  him  with  her 
colt,  as  if  she  had  just  arisen  from  the  earth. 
So  he  put  the  halter  upon  her,  mounted,  and 
rode  back  to  the  house,  the  foal  running 
quietly  at  her  side. 

Arrived  at  home,  the  old  woman  placed 

food  before  him ;  but  she  led  the  mare  into  the 

stable  and  fell  upon  her  with  the  oven-fork, 

saying,  "  Go  among  the  foxes,  you  wretch!  " 

180 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

The  mare  answered,  "  Indeed,  I  did  go 
among  the  foxes,  but  they  are  in  league  with 
him  and  betrayed  me."  She  answered, 
"  Then  go  among  the  wolves!  " 

When  evening  came  the  imperial  Prince 
mounted  the  mare  and  rode  out  to  the  field, 
with  the  foal  running  alongside.  He  sat 
continually  upon  her  back,  but  about  mid- 
night he  fell  asleep,  and  when  he  awoke  he 
perceived  that  he  was  astride  a  block  of 
wood,  with  the  halter  in  his  hand.  When 
he  saw  this  he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  began 
to  search  for  the  mare;  but  in  a  moment  he 
remembered  what  the  old  woman  had  said, 
and  without  delay  he  drew  forth  the  Wolf's 
hair  from  his  kerchief  and  rubbed  it  between 
his  fingers. 

There  was  the  Wolf  upon  the  spot. 
"  What  is  the  matter,  brother  soul?  " 

The  Prince  answered,  "  The  old  hag's 
mare  has  escaped,  and  I  do  not  know  where 
she  is." 

181 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

The  Wolf:  "  She  is  here  among  us;  she 
has  changed  herself  into  a  wolf  and  her  foal 
into  a  wolf-cub.  But  strike  upon  the  earth 
with  the  halter  and  say,  '  The  old  hag's 
mare  still  lives ! '  " 

So  he  struck  upon  the  earth  with  the 
halter,  saying,  "  The  old  hag's  mare  still 
lives ! "  and,  as  before,  she  suddenly  ap- 
peared, with  the  foal  at  her  side.  Then  the 
imperial  Prince  put  the  halter  upon  her, 
mounted,  and  rode  home,  the  foal  running 
quietly  by  her  side. 

Arrived  at  home,  the  old  woman  gave 
him  food;  but  she  led  the  mare  into  the 
stable  and  trounced  her  well  with  the  oven- 
fork,  crying  to  her,  "  Why  did  you  not  go 
among  the  wolves? " 

The  mare  answered,  "  Indeed,  I  was 
among  the  wolves,  but  they  are  in  league 
with  him  and  betrayed  me." 

So  the  old  woman  came  out,  and  the  im- 
perial Prince  said  to  her,  "  See  here,  old 
182 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

woman,  I  have  served  you  true  and  faith- 
ful; give  me  the  wages  you  promised  to 
give  me." 

The  old  woman:  "  What  has  been  prom- 
ised must  be  performed,  my  son;  take 
your  choice  among  the  twelve  horses  in  my 
stable." 

But  he  answered,  "  Ah,  how  should  I 
choose?  Give  me  the  one  in  the  corner — that 
mangy  one  there;  these  fine  steeds  don't 
suit  me." 

The  old  woman  tried  to  talk  him  out  of 
it.  "What  whim  is  this,  choosing  that 
mangy  beast  when  there  are  so  many  splen- 
did horses  here? " 

But  he  stood  by  his  choice,  and  said, 
"Give  me  the  one  I  want;  that  was  the 
agreement." 

The  old  woman  saw  no  help  for  it,  and 

gave  him  the  mangy  horse,  whereupon  he 

took  leave  of  her  and  went  away,  leading 

the  horse  by  the  bridle.    As  soon  as  he  found 

183 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

himself  in  the  forest  he  rubbed  and  curried 
his  horse  until  his  coat  shone  like  pure  gold. 
Then  he  mounted  him  and  set  out  at  full 
speed.  The  horse  flew  like  the  wind,  and  in 
a  twinkling  had  borne  him  to  the  Dragon's 
castle. 

As  soon  as  the  imperial  Prince  had  en- 
tered he  said  to  the  Empress,  "  Get  ready 
for  the  journey  as  quickly  as  possible! " 

In  a  moment  both  were  ready.  They 
mounted  the  horse  and  set  forth  in  the  name 
of  God. 

Somewhat  later  the  Dragon  came  home 
and  found  the  Empress  gone.  He  therefore 
asked  his  horse,  "  What  now?  Shall  we  eat 
and  drink  at  our  ease,  or  shall  we  pursue 
after  them? " 

And  the  horse  replied,  "  Eat  or  not,  drink 
or  not,  pursue  or  not,  you  will  never  over- 
take them." 

When  the  Dragon  heard  this  he  sprang 
upon  his  horse  and  rushed  after  them. 
184 


THE  NINE  PEAHENS 

When  the  pair  saw  the  Dragon  coming 
on  behind  them  they  were  overcome  with 
affright  and  spurred  the  horse  to  greater 
speed.  Now  the  horse  was  a  Vila,  and  he 
said  to  them,  "  Have  no  fear;  you  have  no 
need  to  hasten." 

Now  and  again,  as  the  Dragon  gained 
upon  them,  the  Dragon's  horse  cried  to  the 
Prince's  horse,  "  For  Heaven's  sake,  brother, 
wait  a  little.  I  shall  burst  if  I  have  to  chase 
you  any  longer." 

But  the  other  answered,  "  What  a  fool 
you  are  to  carry  that  demon  upon  your 
back!  Rear  up  smartly  and  dash  him  upon 
the  rocks,  and  come  with  me! " 

When  the  Dragon's  horse  heard  this  he 
ducked  his  head  with  all  his  might,  and, 
throwing  out  his  hind  legs,  he  flung  the 
Dragon  upon  the  rocks,  where  he  was 
dashed  to  fragments.  Then  the  Dragon's 
horse  joined  the  fugitives,  the  Empress 
mounted  him,  and  so  they  went  safely  home 
185 


THE  WONDERFUL  STORY 

to  their  own  empire,  and  reigned  there  until 
their  dying  day. 

"  I  like  Vilas  very  much,  mother 's-moth- 
er,"  said  the  little  boy.  "  Can  you  tell  any 
more  Vila  stories? " 

"  Father  says  we  are  going  home  to- 
morrow," said  the  little  boy's  mother,  who 
had  long  ago  finished  the  housework  and 
was  sitting  there  with  her  knitting. 

"  But  it  isn't  night  yet,"  said  the  little 
boy  eagerly.  "  You  could  tell  me  another 
story  before  night." 

"  Tell  him  the  wonderful  story  you  used 
to  tell  me  when  I  teased  you  for  another," 
said  the  mother,  laughing. 

"  Well,"  said  the  other  grandmother;  and 
she  told 

THE   WONDERFUL   STORY 

"  Ah,  little  mother,  little  mother,  come, 
tell  me  a  pretty  fairy  tale!  " 
186 


THE  WONDERFUL  STORY 

"  Well,  would  you  like  to  hear  the  story 
of  the  Black  Bear  and  the  Ram?  It  is  a 
very  sad  story." 

"Oh,  yes,  yes!" 

"  I  didn't  say  '  Oh,  yes,  yes,'  but  '  Would 
you  like  to  hear  the  tale  of  the  Black  Bear 
and  the  Ram? '  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  only  tell  it  quick! " 

"  I  didn't  say  *  Yes,  indeed,  only  tell  it 
quick,'  but  *  Would  you  like  to  hear  the  tale 
of  the  Black  Bear  and  the  Ram? '  " 

"  O  dear  mother,  if  you  don't  tell  it  soon 
I  shall  begin  to  cry! " 

"  Did  I  not  tell  you  it  was  a  sad  story? 
However,  I  did  not  say  '  O  dear  mother, 
if  you  don't  tell  it  soon  I  shall  begin  to  cry,' 
but  '  Would  you  like  to  hear  the  tale  of  the 
Black  Bear  and  the  Ram? '  " 

"  Would  you  like  to  hear  the  tale  of  the 
Black  Bear  and  the  Ram?  " 

"  There,  you  see,  you  know  most  of  it 
already,  and  there  is  only  the  end: 
187 


THE  WONDERFUL  STORY 

"  The  Black  Bear  and  the  Ram, 

The  Ram  and  the  Black  Bear, 
They  couldn't  endure  each  other, 
And  so  my  story  ends  there." 

Done  already? 

The  little  boy  listened  with  a  very  sober 
face.  Finally  he  said: 

"  Why  did  you  use  to  tell  mother  that 
story?  " 

"  Because  that  is  the  way  to  silence  teas- 
ing children,"  replied  the  other  grand- 
mother. *  They  used  to  do  just  the  way  it 
tells  in  the  story  in  my  great-grandmother's 
time." 

Again  there  was  a  pause.  The  knitting- 
needles  clicked  fast. 

"  Am  I  a  teasing  child? "  asked  the  little 
boy  at  last. 

"  No,  you  are  not,  bless  your  little  heart!  " 
said  the  other  grandmother.  "  Mother's- 
mother  likes  to  tell  you  stories.  Only  you 
188 


THE  WONDERFUL  STORY 

should  not  sit  quiet  too  long.    You  ought  to 
play  now." 

The  little  boy  went  close  to  the  other 
grandmother's  side,  and  looking  up  into  her 
face,  he  said  very  coaxingly: 

"  But  I  am  going  away  to-morrow,  little 
mother's-mother.  Won't  you  tell  me  one 
more  story? " 

"  Run  out  and  see  if  the  sun  is  setting," 
said  the  other  grandmother.  "  If  it  has  not 
yet  gone  down  I  will  tell  you  another  story." 

The  little  boy  ran  out  in  the  greatest 
hurry.  The  other  grandmother's  house  was 
upstairs  and  it  had  no  court — that  was  why 
she  kept  neither  cow  nor  fowl.  So  he  had 
to  run  down  the  dark  stone  stairway,  and  he 
was  in  such  haste  that  he  fell  down  the  last 
two  steps.  But  he  picked  himself  up  and 
ran  out.  There  at  the  far  end  of  the  long 
street  was  the  sun,  still  quite  above  the 
clouds  that  would  wrap  him  up  in  bed  by 
and  by. 

189 


THE  YOUTH  AND  THE  VILA 

The  little  boy  ran  upstairs,  breathless. 
"  He  is  up,  mother's-mother!  He  hasn't 
gone  to  bed  yet!  The  story,  please  1 " 

And  the  other  grandmother  told  about 

THE  YOUTH   AND   THE  VELA 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  father  who 
had  three  sons.  Two  of  them  passed  for 
clever,  but  the  third  and  youngest  was 
stupid,  as  every  one  agreed.  When  people 
wanted  anything  done  they  only  called  upon 
the  two  clever  ones,  while  they  would  not  let 
the  stupid  one  have  anything  to  do  with 
them. 

In  their  father's  garden  was  a  silver  pear- 
tree  which  every  night  bore  flowers  and 
fruit;  but  the  pears  were  regularly  plucked 
and  carried  away  by  the  Vilas.  "  What  the 
mischief!"  said  the  eldest  and  the  second 
brother,  "  how  long  is  this  thing  going  to 
last?  "  and  they  determined  to  mount  guard 
over  the  tree.  But  to  their  youngest  brother 
190 


THE  YOUTH  AND  THE  VILA 

they  said,  ' '  You  are  too  stupid  for  this 
work." 

So  they  carried  feather-beds  and  pillows 
out  under  the  tree,  lay  down,  and  went  to 
sleep.  While  they  were  sleeping  the  Vilas 
came,  plucked  the  pears,  and  went  away. 
As  soon  as  they  were  gone  the  brothers 
awoke,  went  back  to  the  house,  and  told  what 
had  happened. 

Then  the  stupid  brother  declared  that  he 
would  watch  the  tree.  That  he  might  not 
be  overcome  with  sleep  he  made  himself  a 
bed  of  thorns;  but  in  spite  of  all  he  fell 
asleep.  Yet  he  awaked  when  the  Vilas 
came,  and  saw  one  of  them  standing  at 
his  side.  He  pulled  out  one  of  her  hairs, 
whereupon  the  Vila  vanished. 

When  morning  came  he  saw  that  the  hair 
was  of  gold.  Going  home,  he  told  what  had 
happened  to  him,  and  declared  his  intention 
to  go  through  the  world  to  seek  out  that 
Vila.  But  the  two  clever  brothers  answered, 
191 


THE  YOUTH  AND  THE  VILA 

"What  would  you  be  able  to  find?  It  is 
better  for  us  two  clever  ones  to  go  and  seek 
her.  Something  may  come  of  it  then." 

So  the  two  set  out  upon  their  way.  The 
eldest  found  a  shovel  and  took  it  with  him, 
and  it  did  him  good  service.  For  when  they 
got  to  the  Moon  they  found  the  door  locked. 
Then  they  dug  under  the  door  and  went  in. 
They  found  only  the  Moon-mother  at  home, 
and  of  her  they  inquired  if  such-and-such  a 
Vila  lived  there. 

The  Moon-mother  answered,  "  She  lives 
in  the  Sun.  How  will  you  get  there?  But 
see,  here  is  a  spider;  she  shall  spin  you  a 
chain  that  will  reach  from  here  to  there." 

The  spider  went  to  work,  spun  a  chain, 
and  fastened  it  to  the  lock  of  the  Sun-door. 
So  the  brothers  set  out  upon  this  bridge ;  but 
while  they  were  on  the  way  the  Sun  came 
home,  opened  the  door,  and  snapped  the 
chain  in  two.  So  the  brothers  fell  off,  and 
very  luckily  they  tumbled  into  their  god- 
192 


THE  YOUTH  AND  THE  VILA 

father's  cabbage-garden.  So  they  felt  no 
harm,  but  went  home  and  told  their  ad- 
ventures. 

Then  the  stupid  brother  set  out.  He 
found  an  ancient  crone  and  begged  her  to 
show  him  the  way  to  the  Moon.  The  old 
crone  told  him  it  was  not  very  hard  to  go 
there,  and  gave  him  a  bucketful  of  down. 
So  he  seated  himself  in  the  bucket  and  flew 
up  to  the  Moon. 

He  entered  the  house  and  asked  if  a  cer- 
tain Vila  lived  there  who  looked  so-and-so. 
The  Moon-mother  answered,  No,  she  lived 
in  the  Sun.  So  he  flew  up  to  the  Sun,  ar- 
rived there  safely,  and  carefully  hid  his 
bucket  in  the  cellar  in  the  coolest  place  he 
could  find,  that  it  might  not  be  melted  by 
the  heat. 

Meantime  the  Sun  came  home  and  asked, 
'  What  is  your  wish?  " 

"  I  seek  such-and-such  a  Vila." 

The  Sun  brought  her  out  and  gave  her 
193 


THE  YOUTH  AND  THE  VILA 

to  him,  and  he  seated  himself  beside  her  in 
the  bucket  and  set  out. 

When  they  were  half-way  home  the  Sun 
came  out  to  see  how  the  travellers  were  get- 
ting on;  and  he  shone  on  them  so  scorch- 
ingly  that  all  the  down  was  melted,  the 
bucket  lost  its  balance,  and  the  youth  and 
the  Vila  fell  down  to  earth  and  were  caught 
in  a  tree.  They  cannot  go  down,  for  under 
the  tree  sits  an  old  wizard  sorting  out  a  cap- 
ful of  human  hairs.  But  the  Vila  slipped 
softly  down  the  tree  and  put  the  wizard  to 
sleep.  Then  the  youth  clambered  down  and 
took  the  Vila  home. 

They  reached  his  father's  house,  where  he 
told  all  his  adventures;  but  the  Vila  was  in- 
visible to  every  one  but  her  rescuer,  so  that 
no  one  believed  his  story.  Then  the  Vila  be- 
gan to  weep,  and  the  brothers  said,  "  Good! 
now  we  believe  that  she  is  here,  but  just 
where  she  is  we  do  not  know." 

Meantime  the  old  wizard  under  the  tree 
194 


Then  the  youth  clambered  down  and  took  the  Vila  home 


THE  YOUTH  AND  THE  VILA 

awoke,  started  out,  and  came  into  the  room 
where  they  were.  He  greeted  the  Vila  with 
"  Good-day!  "  whereupon  she  became- visible 
to  every  one  as  a  beautiful  maiden. 

Soon  after  the  youth  married  her.  I  was 
present  at  the  wedding,  ate  and  drank  with 
the  old  man  and  conversed  much  with  him; 
and  we  moistened  our  throats  so  often  with 
sweet  wine  from  Zagorje  that  my  grand- 
father and  I  can  taste  it  yet. 

"  Can  you  really,  mother's-mother? "  ex- 
claimed the  little  boy. 

The  other  grandmother  laughed.  "  That 
is  only  the  way  it  ends,"  she  said.  "  Some 
stories  end  that  way." 


195 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE   LITTLE   BOY   SLEEPLESS 

THE  little  boy  could  not  sleep.  The 
room  was  full  of  people  very  excitedly 
talking  about  the  action  of  the  zemstvo  on 
some  subject  of  importance,  and  although 
he  did  not  understand  a  word  that  they  were 
saying,  the  talking  and  the  thought  of  to- 
morrow's journey  kept  him  awake.  He  was 
lying  on  a  pallet  laid  upon  the  bench  against 
the  wall  in  a  far  corner  of  the  room,  and  he 
turned  over  so  often  that  at  last  he  fell  upon 
the  floor.  He  tried  hard  not  to  cry,  but  he 
could  not  quite  help  it. 

The  other  grandmother  picked  him  up 
and   cuddled  him  in  her  arms.     "  Go  to 
sleep,"  she  said,  patting  him  gently. 
196 


THE  VILA  IN  THE  GOLDEN   CASTLE 

The  little  boy  shut  his  eyes,  but  in  a  min- 
ute they  were  open  again. 

"  Mother's-mother,  I  can't  sleep.  Couldn't 
you  tell  me  one  more  story,  very  softly,  so 
that  the  others  can't  hear? " 

The  other  grandmother  laid  the  little  boy 
back  upon  his  pallet,  covered  him  up  warm, 
and  told  him  about 

THE   VILA   IN   THE   GOLDEN   CASTLE 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  father  who 
had  three  sons.  One  day  he  bade  the  eldest 
go  into  the  garden  and  keep  watch  that  the 
swans  did  not  eat  the  flowers.  The  son  kept 
watch  a  long  time,  but  at  last  sleep  over- 
came him,  and  immediately  the  swans  came 
and  ate  up  the  flowers. 

Now  these  were  not  really  swans,  but 
Vilas. 

Upon  this  the  second  brother  betook  him- 
self to  the  garden,  and  with  the  same  result. 

Then  it  was  the  youngest  brother's  turn; 
197 


THE  VILA  IN  THE  GOLDEN  CASTLE 

but  this  one  put  thorns  under  his  head,  so 
that  he  could  not  go  to  sleep.  He  lay  there 
in  a  doze  until  the  swans  arrived;  then, 
springing  nimbly  upon  his  feet,  he  caught 
one  of  them,  which  changed  herself  into  a 
Vila.  Upon  this  the  other  swans  flew  away, 
and  the  Vila  and  the  youth  both  lay  down 
and  fell  asleep. 

Shortly  after  a  girl  came  along  that  way 
and  cut  off  the  Vila's  hair.  When  the  Vila 
awoke  she  fell  into  the  deepest  dejection 
over  the  loss.  The  youth  asked  her,  "  My 
beloved,  wherefore  so  sorrowful? "  and  she 
answered,  "  Some  one  has  robbed  me  of  my 
hair." 

She  remained  with  him  for  a  whole  week. 
Then,  as  it  chanced,  he  was  obliged  to  go 
away  somewhere,  and  she  improved  the  op- 
portunity to  quit  the  house — not,  however, 
without  leaving  word  that  he  would  find  her 
in  the  golden  castle. 

When  he  returned  home  and  asked  after 
198 


THE  VILA  IN  THE  GOLDEN  CASTLE 

her,  he  learned  that  she  had  gone  to  the 
golden  castle.  He  therefore  set  out  to  find 
it.  After  much  walking  he  came  to  a  great 
forest,  where  he  met  an  old  man,  whom  he 
asked  if  he  could  give  him  any  information 
about  the  golden  castle. 

The  old  man  said  he  knew  nothing  about 
it,  but  perhaps  a  still  older  man,  who  lived 
a  long  way  off  in  the  forest,  might  know 
where  it  was.  After  long  wandering  the 
youth  found  this  man,  but  neither  could  he 
give  him  any  information,  but  sent  him  to  a 
still  older  man.  So  he  sought  out  the  third 
old  man,  and  from  him  he  received  the  de- 
sired information. 

The  young  man  set  out  in  the  direction 
indicated,  arrived  at  the  castle,  and  per- 
ceived his  beloved  one,  who  smiled  kindly 
upon  him.  In  the  castle  he  found  an  old 
Vila,  who  told  him  that  he  should  not  have 
her  daughter  to  wife  until  he  had  executed 
the  order  which  she  was  about  to  give. 
199 


THE  VILA  IN  THE  GOLDEN  CASTLE 

Then  she  handed  him  a  wooden  hoe,  with 
the  words: 

"  If  you  wish  to  be  my  son-in-law  you 
must  root  up  all  this  forest,  plant  vines  in 
its  place,  and  bring  me  wine  from  their 
fruit;  and  all  must  be  done  to-day." 

This  command  he  certainly  could  not 
obey;  but  his  beloved  one  drew  near  and 
asked  him,  "  Why  are  you  so  sorrowful? " 

He  answered,  "  Why  should  I  not  be 
sorrowful?  I  can  surely  never  obey  that 
command." 

Then  she  cut  down  a  tree,  and  the  whole 
forest  was  uprooted ;  she  planted  a  vine,  and 
the  whole  vineyard  was  planted;  she  pressed 
one  grape,  and  the  work  was  already  done. 

When  he  brought  the  wine  into  the  castle 
the  old  Vila  said: 

"  You  must  perform  another  task.  In  a 
single  day  you  must  sow  wheat,  reap  and 
thresh  it,  and  store  it  away  in  the  granary." 

He  would  not  have  been  equal  to  this  task 
200 


THE  VILA  IN  THE  GOLDEN  CASTLE 

either  had  not  his  beloved  one  done  it  for 
him. 

When  he  showed  the  old  Vila  the  threshed 
wheat  she  was  still  not  satisfied,  but  said: 

"  If  you  wish  to  be  my  son-in-law  you 
must  gild  the  whole  castle."  To  this  end 
she  gave  him  a  golden  nut. 

He  succeeded  in  gilding  a  hand's  breadth, 
but  more  he  could  not  do.  Then  his  beloved 
came  to  his  help ;  she  only  made  a  cross,  and 
in  a  twinkling  the  whole  was  done. 

Still  the  old  Vila  said,  "  If  you  are  posi- 
tively determined  upon  being  my  son-in- 
law  you  must  to-morrow  guess  which  Vila 
is  yours.  I  may  tell  you  beforehand  that 
they  all  look  precisely  alike,  even  to  a  hair." 

Then  his  beloved  one  told  him  to  notice 
well.  When  all  the  Vilas  were  standing  in 
a  row,  a  little  dog  would  come  and  nose 
around  her  alone,  and  he  must  say,  "  That 
one  is  she."  She  also  gave  him  a  comb,  and 
a  brush  into  the  bargain,  saying  that  they 
201 


THE  VILA  IN  THE  GOLDEN  CASTLE 

would  be  of  the  greatest  use  to  them  in  their 
flight. 

The  next  day,  when  the  Vilas  stood  in  a 
row  before  him,  the  little  dog  came  and 
nosed  around  one  of  them.  He  at  once  said 
that  this  was  she,  and  immediately  they  took 
to  flight,  the  old  Vila  after  them. 

She  had  almost  overtaken  the  fugitives, 
but  the  youth  threw  the  brush  behind  them, 
and  a  thick  forest  grew  up  at  their  back,  so 
that  they  gained  a  considerable  start.  But 
the  old  Vila  soon  overcame  this  hinderance, 
and  had  nearly  caught  up  to  them  when,  at 
the  very  moment,  he  threw  the  comb  behind 
him.  Instantly  a  great  river  flowed  between 
them  which  the  old  woman  could  not  cross. 

Thus  the  two  got  away  at  last,  arrived 
safely  at  home,  married,  and  lived  in  happi- 
ness till  their  dying  day. 

The  little  boy  made  no  remark.  He  was 
sound  asleep. 

202 


CHAPTER   XVII 

HOME   AGAIN 

IT  was  already  dark  when  they  reached 
home,  though  it  was  not  late,  for  Janu- 
ary days  are  very  short.  There  had  been  no 
children  at  the  station,  only  men,  and  the 
walk  home  had  seemed  very  long  to  the  little 
boy.  The  men  were  talking  very  loudly, 
sometimes  even  angrily — they  did  not  seem 
to  be  pleased  with  what  the  little  boy's 
father  told  them  about  the  zemstvo.  It  had 
not  done  what  the  people  of  the  village 
wanted. 

"  Well,  God  and  the  mir  for  us  all!  "  said 
the  little  boy's  father  as  they  reached  the 
house. 

All  the  family  were  gathered  to  meet 
them — the  grandmother,  the  oldest  brother 
203 


HOME  AGAIN 

and  his  wife,  and  the  brother  and  sisters  who 
lived  at  home.  They  were  glad  to  see  the 
little  boy,  but  they  all  seemed  more  inter- 
ested in  what  the  father  had  to  say  about 
the  zemstvo,  and  the  little  boy  could  not 
understand  that  at  all.  Though  his  grand- 
mother held  him  by  the  hand  and  occasion- 
ally patted  him  on  the  head,  she  hardly 
spoke  to  him.  Presently,  however,  she  went 
to  her  own  room,  taking  the  little  boy  with 
her,  and  then  it  was  his  turn!  His  little 
tongue  ran  fast  as  he  told  her  all  about  the 
journey  and  the  other  grandmother  and  the 
stories  she  had  told  him. 

"  You  never  told  me  about  the  Vilas,  lit- 
tle grandma,"  he  said. 

"  Did  I  not  tell  you  that  the  stories  of  her 
mir  are  not  the  same  as  the  stories  of  our 
mirl  "  replied  the  grandmother.  "  I  do  not 
know  those  Vila  stories." 

"  But  you  know  other  stories,  very  nice 
stories,  little  grandmamma,"  said  the  little 
204 


PRINCE  HEDGEHOG 

boy.    Then,  after  a  pause,  "  Please  tell  me 
one  nowl " 

Then  the  grandmother  told  the  story  of 

PRINCE   HEDGEHOG 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  an  Emperor 
and  an  Empress  who  for  many  years  had 
been  childless.  One  day  the  Empress  wished 
for  a  son,  were  he  no  bigger  than  a  hedge- 
hog. The  proverb  says,  "  What  one  wishes 
for,  that  one  gets,"  and  so  it  was  with  her, 
for  she  shortly  gave  birth  to  a  son  who 
looked  exactly  like  a  hedgehog  and  was  cov- 
ered all  over  with  sharp  spines. 

Far  and  wide  the  news  was  spread  abroad 
through  the  world,  and  the  parents  were 
much  ashamed  of  such  a  son.  Nevertheless, 
they  had  him  educated  in  all  useful  knowl- 
edge, and  he  had  so  clever  a  head  that  by  the 
time  he  was  fourteen  he  knew  all  knowledge 
through  and  through. 

By  this  time  his  parents  could  no  longer 
205 


PRINCE  HEDGEHOG 

endure  him  near  them,  and  they  assigned  to 
him  a  great  forest  as  a  place  of  abode,  feeling 
certain  that  he  would  then  fall  a  prey  to  a 
wolf  or  a  fox  or  some  sort  of  a  beast.  They 
strictly  commanded  him  not  to  return  before 
the  expiration  of  seven  years.  They  gave 
him  permission,  however,  to  take  with  him 
anything  that  he  especially  cared  for;  but 
he  would  take  nothing  with  him  except  a 
Sow  and  a  great  Cock  upon  which  he  was 
wont  to  ride.  With  these  he  went  away  into 
the  forest. 

Year  out,  year  in,  Prince  Hedgehog  re- 
mained in  the  forest,  and  he  raised  so  many 
swine  that  at  last  they  were  too  many  for 
even  him  to  count.  Finally  he  thought  to 
himself,  "  My  seven  years  are  up ;  I  will  go 
back  home."  So  he  quickly  gathered  his 
swine  together  and  drove  them  to  the  city 
of  his  parents. 

When  they  perceived  afar  off  the  im- 
mense drove  of  swine,  they  thought,  "  Here 
206 


PRINCE  HEDGEHOG 

comes  a  wealthy  swine-drover."  But  soon 
they  recognized  their  son,  who  was  riding 
upon  his  Cock  behind  the  swine  and  making 
straight  for  the  imperial  castle.  So  they 
received  him  into  the  castle  and  showed  him 
the  best  of  hospitality,  dividing  his  swine 
among  different  pens,  for  they  filled  every 
swine-pen  in  the  city. 

While  they  were  at  table  they  asked  their 
son  how  he  enjoyed  himself  in  the  forest, 
and  said  that  if  he  wished  to  go  back  there 
they  would  give  him  a  goat  this  time.  But 
he  declared  that  he  was  not  going  back,  for 
he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  marry. 

The  astonished  parents  replied,  "  Why, 
what  maiden  would  love  you  and  take  you 
for  a  husband?  "  The  poor  youth  knew  no 
answer  to  this  question,  so  he  mounted  his 
Cock  and  rode  away. 

Now  the  parents  thought  he  would  never 
come  back  again.  But  he  was  a  clever  fel- 
low, and  he  went  as  a  suitor  to  the  King  of 
207 


PRINCE  HEDGEHOG 

of  a  neighboring  country  who  had  three  un- 
married daughters. 

When  he  found  himself  near  the  city  the 
Cock  flew  up  with  him  to  the  window  of 
the  room  in  which  the  company  were  as- 
sembled enjoying  themselves.  The  Cock 
crowed  with  all  his  might,  until  the  cham- 
berlain went  to  the  window  and  asked  what 
he  wanted.  The  Hedgehog  answered,  "  I 
come  a- wooing." 

Then  the  King  permitted  him  to  come 
into  the  room,  and  offered  him  the  welcome- 
cup,  according  to  ancient  manner  and  cus- 
tom. Then  the  King  again  asked  him  what 
business  brought  him,  and  Hedgehog,  the 
imperial  Prince,  answered  him  shortly  and 
to  the  point,  "  I  come  a-wooing." 

The  King  immediately  assured  him  that 
he  had  only  to  choose  one  of  the  three  un- 
married daughters.  The  Hedgehog  chose 
the  youngest,  but  she  would  not  have  him 
for  a  husband  until  her  father  threatened  to 
208 


PRINCE  HEDGEHOG 

have  her  shot  unless  she  gave  a  cheerful 
consent. 

She  saw  no  help  for  it,  and  thought  to 
herself,  "  I  can  never  get  out  of  this  scrape; 
come  what  may,  I'll  take  him.  We  have 
gold  and  treasure  in  abundance,  and  we 
shall  easily  get  along  through  life." 

When  the  Hedgehog  had  received  her 
consent  he  went  back  to  his  parents  and 
told  them  what  had  happened  to  him.  His 
parents  would  not  believe  him,  and  sent  the 
chamberlain  to  inquire  if  it  was  true  that 
the  Emperor's  son,  the  Hedgehog,  was  to 
marry  the  King's  daughter.  When  the 
chamberlain  returned  and  told  the  Emperor 
that  his  son  had  spoken  the  truth,  the  Em- 
peror ordered  his  horses  to  be  harnessed,  and 
went  with  his  wife  to  visit  the  King,  riding 
in  their  carriage,  while  their  son  rode  behind 
on  his  Cock. 

When  they  arrived  they  found  everything 
ready  for  the  wedding.  But,  according  to 
209 


PRINCE  HEDGEHOG 

custom,  the  bridal  party  were  obliged  to  go 
to  the  church  a  few  days  before  the  mar- 
riage to  pray  and  confess  to  the  pop.  When 
the  young  lady  came  to  confession  she  asked 
the  pop  how  she  might  manage  to  get  rid 
of  the  Prince  and  not  be  obliged  to  marry 
him. 

The  pop  gave  her  a  sound  scolding,  and 
said  in  conclusion,  "  Just  keep  quiet  and  all 
will  end  well.  Mark  what  I  say,  and  re- 
member it  well.  When  you  are  come  into 
the  church  and  are  taking  your  place  in  the 
sacristy,  do  you  follow  close  behind  the 
others.  When  you  get  to  the  high  altar 
sprinkle  your  bridegroom  thrice  with  holy- 
water,  and  be  careful  to  prick  yourself  each 
time  with  one  of  his  spines.  Then  three 
drops  of  blood  will  trickle  out  of  your  hand, 
and  you  must  let  these  also  fall  upon  him." 

After  confession  the  bridal  pair  went 
home  to  breakfast.  The  next  day — it  was 
a  Sunday — the  bridal  party  went  at  half- 
210 


PRINCE  HEDGEHOG 

past  eleven  into  the  church,  and  the  bride 
did  in  every  respect  as  the  pop  had  coun- 
selled. 

And,  behold,  the  Hedgehog  was  trans- 
formed into  a  beautiful  youth  whose  like 
was  not  to  be  found  in  all  the  world.  Then 
the  bridal  party  sat  down  upon  the  benches 
and  heard  Mass,  and  the  pop  united  them 
and  preached  them  a  sermon  how  they 
should  cleave  to  each  other  all  their  lives 
long. 

After  that  they  went  back  to  the  house, 
and  the  wedding-feast  lasted  until  late  in 
the  night.  The  wine  was  very  good.  I  sat 
at  the  head  of  the  last  table,  drank  yellow 
wine  out  of  a  painted  cup  and  ate  half  a 
swine  all  by  myself. 

"  Some  stories  end  that  way,  don't  they, 
grandmother?  "  asked  the  little  boy. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  grandmother,  "  some  of 
them  do." 

211 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

THE   BETROTHAL 

EASTER  DAY  had  come,  and  every- 
body in  the  house  was  giving  and  re- 
turning the  Easter  greeting.  The  little  boy 
ran  into  his  grandmother's  room. 

"  Christ  is  risen,  little  grandmamma  1 "  he 
said. 

"  He  is  risen  indeed,"  the  grandmother 
answered. 

The  older  brother  and  sisters  came  to 
salute  their  grandmother. 

"  Christ  is  risen!  "  each  one  said  to  her, 
and  to  each  she  answered: 

"  He  is  risen  indeed." 

Then  they  all  went  to  the  parents'  room 
for  the  morning  prayer.  They  did  this 
every  morning,  for  Russian  peasants  are 
212 


THE  BETROTHAL 

very  devout;  but  Easter  was  a  special  morn- 
ing, and  they  sang  many  hymns  and  said 
many  prayers.  When  they  had  finished,  the 
married  son  and  his  wife  came  in. 

"Christ  is  risen,  father  and  mother!" 
they  said. 

"  He  is  risen  indeed,"  the  parents  an- 
swered. 

After  church,  which  seemed  very  long  to 
the  little  boy,  they  all  came  home  to  dinner. 
With  them  came  a  strange  young  man 
whom  the  little  boy  did  not  know.  When 
they  sat  down  at  table  he  sat  at  the  head 
and  the  little  boy's  elder  sister  beside  him. 
She  had  beautiful  flowers  in  her  hair. 

"  Why  does  sister  wear  flowers  in  her 
hair? "  the  little  boy  asked  his  grandmother 
softly. 

"  Because  she  is  a  bride,"  whispered  the 
grandmother.     "  She  is  betrothed  to  that 
young  man.    He  will  be  your  brother  when 
they  are  married  next  autumn." 
213 


THE  DESERTER 

All  the  afternoon  there  were  games  and 
merriment,  and  many  people  came  to  con- 
gratulate the  young  people  and  to  drink 
tea.  As  the  merriment  grew  louder  the  lit- 
tle boy  grew  tired  of  it,  and  he  went  to  ask 
his  grandmother  for  a  story.  She,  too,  was 
tired  of  the  lively  doings  in  the  other  room, 
and  she  very  willingly  told  him  about 

THE   DESERTER 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  deserter 
who  was  three  times  faithless  to  his  colors. 
Twice  had  he  undergone  the  punishment  due 
to  desertion;  the  third  time,  he  knew,  he  was 
face  to  face  with  death.  So  he  resolved  to 
flee  by  night  and  hide  himself  by  day  in 
some  ditch  or  thicket,  for  he  was  afraid  that 
in  the  daylight  he  might  be  recognized  and 
arrested. 

One  night,  as  he  was  hastening  onward, 
he  saw  a  glimmer  of  light  in  the  distance, 
and  thought  to  himself,  "  I  will  go  toward 
214 


THE  DESERTER 

that  light;  perhaps  it  will  somehow  help  me 
out  of  my  trouble." 

When,  however,  he  came  up  to  that  light 
all  he  saw  was  an  opening  just  wide  enough 
for  him  to  creep  into.  The  moment  he  was 
inside  thick  darkness  fell  upon  him.  He 
could  find  his  way  neither  in  nor  out;  but 
on  groping  around  he  at  last  came  upon  a 
staircase,  up  which  he  climbed  and  found 
himself  in  a  passageway.  Through  this 
passageway  he  went  for  a  long,  long  time, 
until  at  last  he  stumbled  upon  a  door.  He 
opened  the  door  and  stepped  into  a  room, 
but  it  was  pitch  dark  there  too;  so  he 
groped  all  about  until  at  last  he  stumbled 
upon  another  door  and  entered  another 
room. 

So  on  he  went  through  eleven  rooms,  and 
finally  reached  the  twelfth,  where  at  last  he 
found  a  lighted  candle  upon  a  table.  The 
room  was  beautifully  fitted  up,  and  he 
thought  within  himself,  "  Come  what  come 
215 


THE  DESERTER 
may,  I  shall  make  myself  at  home  in  this 


room." 


So  he  stretched  himself  upon  a  couch. 
He  lay  there  for  a  while  lost  in  thought, 
when,  lo  and  behold!  the  table  began  to  lay 
itself.  When  the  cloth  was  spread,  all  sorts 
of  good  cheer  began  to  appear  upon  it. 

"  Come  what  come  may,"  he  thought  to 
himself  again,  "  I  am  hungry."  So  he  fell 
to  and  ate  to  his  heart's  content.  When  he 
had  eaten  all  that  he  could  swallow  he  threw 
himself  upon  the  couch  again  and  began  to 
consider. 

Suddenly  three  women  entered,  clothed 
entirely  in  black.  One  seated  herself  at  the 
piano,  while  the  two  others  danced.  Tired 
as  he  was,  when  he  saw  this  he  arose  and 
skipped  about  with  them.  After  this  enter- 
tainment they  began  to  talk  with  him,  speak- 
ing of  one  thing  and  another,  and  finally 
came  round  to  the  question  how  he  might 
break  the  spell  that  bound  them. 
216 


THE  DESERTER 

They  told  him  the  very  way  and  manner 
of  doing  it,  saying  that  he  had  nothing  more 
nor  less  to  do  than  to  pass  the  night  in  a  cer- 
tain room  which  they  would  show  him.  A 
ghost  would  come  there  and  pester  him  with 
all  sorts  of  questions — who  he  was,  how  he 
had  come  there,  and  other  things.  But  he 
must  not  say  a  mortal  word  to  all  these  ques- 
tions, not  though  the  ghost  tormented  him 
in  all  sorts  of  ways;  if  he  could  only  hold 
out  in  silence  the  ghost  would  vanish,  and 
then  he  would  feel  not  the  least  pain  from 
all  the  torments  he  had  been  enduring. 

Our  deserter  fell  in  with  the  proposition 
without  further  words,  and  the  ladies  es- 
corted him  to  the  fateful  room  with  the 
sound  of  music  and  left  him  there  alone. 
When  they  were  gone  he  undressed  himself, 
bolted  the  door  securely,  and  lay  down  in 
bed.  But  he  could  not  sleep,  for  his  head 
throbbed  with  expectation  of  what  was  about 
to  happen. 

217 


THE  DESERTER 

At  eleven  o'clock  a  sudden  knock  was 
heard  at  the  door.  He  dared  not  make  a 
sound,  for  he  was  firmly  resolved  to  ransom 
himself,  the  ladies,  and  the  enchanted  castle ; 
so  he  kept  as  still  as  a  mouse.  Again  the 
knocking  came,  but  he  made  no  answer.  At 
the  third  knock  the  door  flew  open,  and 
in  walked  a  gigantic  form  all  clothed  in 
flames. 

The  giant  placed  himself  at  the  bedside 
and  began  to  ask  the  man  whence  he  was 
and  why  he  had  come ;  but  the  deserter  never 
uttered  a  word.  Then  the  giant  seized  him, 
threw  him  upon  the  floor,  and  began  to  tor- 
ment him;  but  no  sound  passed  the  sufferer's 
lips.  At  the  stroke  of  twelve  the  ghost  de- 
parted, with  the  words: 

"  Though  you  wouldn't  tell  to-day,  you 
will  to-morrow,  when  we  all  three  come." 

He  spoke,  the  door  flew  open,  closed 
again,  and  he  was  gone.  The  young  man 
arose  from  the  floor,  lay  down  upon  his  bed, 
218 


THE  DESERTER 

and  fell  sweetly  asleep,  without  feeling  the 
least  harm. 

Next  morning  came  the  three  ladies,  all 
in  white  up  to  their  knees,  and  led  him,  with 
sound  of  music,  back  to  the  room  where  he 
had  been  on  the  previous  day.  They  placed 
a  chair  for  him  and  set  a  delicious  breakfast 
before  him.  When  he  had  plentifully  break- 
fasted he  fell  asleep  and  snored  till  eve- 
ning. 

When  he  awoke  he  asked  how  late  it  was. 
The  ladies  replied  that  it  was  nine  o'clock; 
and  they  gave  him  a  good  supper  and  led 
him  again  to  the  same  room  to  sleep. 

At  the  stroke  of  eleven  some  one  knocked 
at  the  door.  He  made  no  sound,  but  at  the 
third  knock  the  door  flew  open  and  three 
ghosts  entered.  The  one  who  had  been  there 
the  night  before  asked  him  the  same  ques- 
tions as  before,  but  received  no  better  an- 
swer. Then  one  of  them  seized  him  and 
flung  him  into  one  corner,  and  another  into 
219 


THE  DESERTER 

another,  and  so  they  tossed  him  about  until 
the  poor  fellow  lay  helpless  against  the  wall, 
all  covered  with  blood. 

When  the  clock  struck  twelve  the  spokes- 
man said  to  him,  "  Though  you  won't  an- 
swer to-night,  you  will  to-morrow,  when  we 
all  four  come."  With  these  words  they  dis- 
appeared. 

He  again  lifted  himself  up,  lay  down 
upon  his  bed,  and  felt  no  harm.  In  the 
morning  the  three  ladies  came,  all  in  white 
up  to  their  girdles,  and  escorted  him,  to  the 
sound  of  music,  into  the  other  room,  where, 
after  breakfast,  he  again  fell  asleep. 

At  night  they  again  escorted  him  to  his 
chamber  to  sleep.  When  they  were  gone  he 
did  not  go  to  bed  as  usual,  but  began  to  con- 
sider how  he  might  avoid  the  fearful  tor- 
ment in  store  for  him.  First  he  looked  out 
at  a  window,  but  his  gaze  fell  upon  a  fright- 
ful abyss  enclosed  by  rocky  precipices.  He 
went  to  the  second  window,  but  there  it 
220 


THE  DESERTER 

was  no  better,  but  seemed  to  be  even  more 
fearful. 

So  nothing  was  left  him  but  to  heap  all 
the  furniture  of  the  room  before  the  door, 
in  hope  thus  to  escape  his  tormentors.  But 
he  soon  gave  up  this  hope,  for  about  mid- 
night the  knocking  began.  He  made  no 
answer,  but  at  the  third  knock  the  door  flew 
open  and  all  the  furniture  returned  to  its 
own  place. 

The  ghost  who  had  before  questioned  him 
now  began  to  repeat  his  questions,  com- 
manding him  to  tell  who  he  was  and  how  he 
came  there;  but  the  young  man  was  not  to 
be  made  to  speak.  Then  the  spokesman  or- 
dered one  of  his  comrades  to  go  below  and 
bring  up  an  anvil  and  four  hammers,  and 
when  these  had  been  brought,  one  of  the 
ghosts  blew  up  a  fire  and  threw  the  young 
man  upon  it.  When  he  was  heated  to  a 
glow  they  laid  him  upon  the  anvil  and  beat 
him  with  hammers  until  he  was  as  flat  as 
221 


THE  DESERTER 

paper.  But  with  all  this  he  was  not  to  be 
forced  to  speak. 

The  time  was  up  and  the  ghosts  must  go. 
Before  they  went  they  told  him  that  he  and 
all  around  him  were  blessed;  and  then  the 
door  flew  open  and  they  vanished.  He 
again  arose,  laid  himself  upon  the  bed,  and 
sank  at  once  into  slumber. 

Next  morning  the  three  ladies,  all  in 
white  from  head  to  foot,  came,  with  the 
sound  of  music,  to  thank  him  for  ransoming 
them,  and  they  gave  him  leave  to  choose 
among  them  for  a  wife.  Now  the  youngest 
of  them  had  grown  nearest  his  heart,  and  he 
declared  himself  ready  to  marry  her,  not  at 
once,  but  later,  for  first  he  wished  to  see 
something  of  the  world. 

This  being  the  case,  they  gave  him  a  ham, 
a  wooden  flask  of  wine,  a  loaf  of  bread,  three 
dogs,  and  a  pipe  which  hung  by  a  golden 
chain,  and  they  told  him  that  these  dogs 
would  come  to  his  aid  in  every  time  of  need; 
222 


THE  DESERTER 

he  had  only  to  call  them  by  means  of  his 
pipe.  And  should  he  be  tired,  he  had  only 
to  seat  himself  upon  one  of  them.  So  he 
took  all  these  things  and  went  forth  to  see 
the  world. 

One  day  when  he  was  travelling  through 
a  forest  he  arrived  at  a  castle  and  turned 
aside  to  enter.  But  the  steps  which  led  up 
were  of  such  a  kind  that  he  could  not  climb 
them;  so  he  seated  himself  upon  one  of  his 
dogs  and  the  animal  carried  him  up.  As 
he  passed  through  the  entrance  he  peeped 
through  a  window  and  saw  a  Tiger  and  his 
wife,  who  was  combing  his  hair. 

He  went  in  to  where  they  were,  and  the 
Tiger  at  once  arose,  led  him  from  room 
to  room,  and  showed  him  many  wonderful 
things.  Everything  pleased  the  young  man, 
except  that  the  Tiger's  wife  kept  the  dogs 
shut  up  in  a  room  apart. 

When  he  entered  the  fourth  room  he  went 
around  it,  gazing  upon  the  many  statues 
223 


THE  DESERTER 

and  paintings;  and  while  thus  doing  he 
stepped  upon  a  board  which  gave  way  and 
let  him  fall  into  a  cellar  where  it  was  as  dark 
as  pitch.  He  groped  around  for  a  way  of 
escape,  but  a  damp,  heavy  wind  seemed  to 
sweep  all  around  him,  and  first  he  would 
wound  his  hand  and  then  his  foot.  So  he 
thought  to  himself,  "  You  won't  come  safely 
out  of  this!" 

After  a  while  the  Tiger  let  himself  down 
by  a  rope,  butcher-knife  in  hand,  intending 
to  kill  him.  The  young  man  begged  for  a 
half -hour's  respite,  that  he  might  do  pen- 
ance for  his  sins.  This  was  granted,  but  the 
time  soon  flew  by,  and  the  Tiger  was  al- 
ready whetting  his  knife  to  stab  him,  when 
the  young  man  sprang  aside,  and  his  hand 
met  the  chain  upon  which  the  pipe  was  hang- 
ing. He  blew  upon  it,  and  quick  as  thought 
the  dogs  were  on  the  spot.  He  set  them 
upon  the  Tiger,  but  as  they  fell  upon  him 
the  Tiger  begged  humbly  for  life,  promis- 
224 


THE  DESERTER 

ing  that  his  wife  would  draw  him  and  his 
dogs  up  out  of  the  cellar. 

So  it  came  to  pass;  but  they  were  no 
sooner  out  than  he  again  set  the  dogs  upon 
the  Tiger,  who  again  began  to  beg,  prom- 
ising to  give  him  a  salve  which  had  the 
power  of  fastening  against  the  wall  any  one 
upon  whose  back  it  was  rubbed,  and  keeping 
him  there  fast  and  firm  until  he  chose  to  let 
him  go. 

The  youth  took  the  salve  and  went  on 
farther,  till  he  reached  a  city  which  was  all 
shrouded  in  mourning.  He  entered  and 
asked  why  every  one  was  in  mourning,  and 
received  answer  that  a  fearful  Dragon  was 
to  come  that  day  and  carry  off  the  Em- 
peror's daughter. 

At  this  he  laughed  heartily,   and  said, 

'  That  may  easily  be  helped;  just  go  and 

announce  to  the  Emperor  that  I  am  ready  to 

ransom  the  Princess,  if  it  is  agreeable  to 

him."     This  was  announced,  and  the  Em- 

225 


THE  DESERTER 

peror  received  him  into  the  castle  with  great 

joy- 
As  the  appointed  time  for  the  Dragon's 
coming  had  arrived,  the  young  man  placed 
himself  in  readiness.  At  the  stroke  of 
twelve  the  Dragon  suddenly  appeared,  driv- 
ing four  horses.  The  young  man  was  wait- 
ing for  him,  and  as  soon  as  the  Dragon  had 
taken  the  Princess  by  the  hand  to  carry  her 
off  he  spread  the  salve  upon  his  back, 
pressed  him  against  the  wall,  and  set  his 
dogs  upon  him.  At  the  same  time  he  be- 
labored him  with  the  butt-end  of  his  mus- 
ket, till  the  Dragon  was  quite  exhausted 
and  began  to  beg  off,  promising  to  give  a 
written  agreement  never  again  to  molest  the 
Princess.  When  he  had  written  the  paper 
in  his  own  blood  and  signed  it  he  vanished 
through  the  window. 

Then  the  Emperor  knew  not  what  to  do 
for  joy.     He  offered  his  daughter  to  the 
soldier  to  wife,  or,  if  he  liked  it  better,  the 
226 


THE  DESERTER 

half  of  his  kingdom.  But  the  young  man 
declined  both  offers  and  returned  to  his  own 
ladies,  where  he  married  the  youngest  with 
the  greatest  festivities.  As  they  came  out 
of  church  to  go  to  their  house  a  new  city 
sprang  up  all  along  the  roadside.  The 
hilarity  was  great.  I  myself  was  among  the 
guests,  and  after  I  had  made  merry  to  my 
heart's  content  I  set  out  upon  the  way  home 
to  Varazdin. 

"  Did  you  ever  live  in  Varazdin,  grand- 
mother? "  asked  the  little  boy. 

"  No,  surely  not,"  said  the  grandmother. 
"  That  is  just  the  way  the  story  ends." 

"Oh!"  said  the  little  boy. 


227 


CHAPTER   XIX 

IN   THE   FIELDS 

SPRING  was  coining  on  finely,  and 
everybody  was  at  work  in  the  fields 
— everybody,  that  is,  who  was  not  in  the 
army.  From  every  one  of  the  wooden 
houses  that  stood  on  either  side  of  the  high- 
way, with  their  gable  ends  to  the  street,  had 
gone  a  son,  a  husband,  a  laborer  to  the 
war  that  was  waging  so  fiercely,  no  one 
quite  knew  where.  The  little  boy's  married 
brother  had  gone  to  the  nearest  garrison 
town.  He  had  barely  had  time  to  make  the 
acquaintance  of  his  little  new-born  daugh- 
ter when  he  was  summoned.  He  went  very 
willingly — all  of  them  did.  There  was  not 
a  man  in  the  village  who  did  not  adore  the 
Emperor,  who  was  not  ready  to  die  for  him, 
though  not  one  of  them  had  ever  seen  him. 
228 


IN  THE  FIELDS 

So  there  were  few  men  to  work  in  the 
fields,  and  all  the  women  and  girls  must  go. 
This  they  were  used  to ;  it  was  so  every  year. 
The  little  boy's  mother  was  there,  and  his 
sisters,  the  eldest  one  wearing  in  her  hair 
the  flowers  that  showed  that  she  was  be- 
trothed. As  far  as  one  could  see  over  the 
wide,  treeless  plain  there  were  women  and 
girls  working,  with  only  here  and  there  a 
man  who,  like  the  starosta,  was  needed  for 
the  affairs  of  the  village,  or  who,  like  the 
moujiks  who  looked  after  the  sheep,  were 
too  old  to  go. 

The  little  boy  was  very  proud  when  his 
father  let  him  go  to  the  field  and  help  drop 
the  seed  into  the  furrows.  He  was  thus 
at  work  when  an  old  moujik  came  along 
and  stood  watching  them.  He  was  a  very 
ragged  old  moujik,  for  he  was  very  poor; 
but  he  was  a  polite  old  man,  as  all  Russian 
peasants  are,  and  when  the  little  boy's 
mother  came  along  with  her  hoe,  covering 
229 


IN  THE  FIELDS 

up  the  seed,  he  lifted  his  greasy  old  shapka 
to  her  with  great  courtesy. 

"  It's  a  good  thing  that  the  little  boy  is 
at  work,"  said  the  old  moujik.  "  They  can't 
begin  too  early.  There  is  much  to  do  in 
God's  blessed  world." 

"  It  is  only  for  a  little  while,"  said  the 
mother.  "  I  shall  send  him  to  school  soon." 

"Ah,  school,  school!"  said  the  old  mou- 
jik, shaking  his  head.  "  It  only  takes  the 
children's  time  when  they  ought  to  be  at 
work;  it  costs  money,  and  what  good  does 
it  do?  There  were  no  schools  in  my 
time." 

The  little  boy  was  tired  when  dinner-time 
came,  and  his  mother  left  him  at  home  with 
the  grandmother. 

"  I  have  been  working  hard,  little  grand- 
ma," he  said.  "  Don't  I  deserve  a  story?  " 

"  Let  me  see,"  said  the  grandmother,  and 
there  was  a  twinkle  in  her  eyes.  "  Did  I 
ever  tell  you  about 

230 


THE  HUNTER 
"  THE    HUNTER?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  little  boy;  "  tell  me  that!  " 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  Hunter 
who  had  three  dogs.  The  first  he  called 
"  Run-fast,"  the  second  "  Catch-the-hare," 
and  the  third  "  I -know-it-better."  One  day 
the  Hunter  went  out  to  hunt,  and  he  called 
his  first  dog,  Run-fast,  and  his  second  dog, 
Catch-the-hare,  and  the  third  dog — what 
under  the  sun  did  I  say  was  the  third  dog's 
name? 

"I-know-it-better!"  cried  the  little  boy 
eagerly. 

'  Very  well,  then,"  said  the  grandmother, 
laughing  a  little.  "  If  you  know  it  better, 
tell  the  story  yourself! " 

"  O  grandmother,"  said  the  little  boy 
after  a  moment  of  surprise,  "  that's  not  a 
story!" 

"  Isn't  it?  "  asked  the  grandmother.  "  My 
231 


THE  WATCH-TOWER 


great-grandmother  said  it  was.    Well,  per- 
haps you  will  like  better  the  story  of 


"  THE  WATCH-TOWER  BETWEEN  EAETH  AND 


HEAVEN  " 


Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  King  who 
had  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  He  kept 
the  daughter  in  a  cage  and  guarded  her  as 
the  eyes  in  his  head. 

When  the  maiden  was  grown  up  she 
begged  her  father  one  evening  to  let  her  go 
out  and  take  a  walk  before  the  castle  with 
her  brothers.  The  father  consented,  but 
hardly  was  she  out  of  the  door  when  sud- 
denly a  Dragon  came  swooping  down  from 
the  sky,  seized  the  maiden  from  among  her 
brothers,  and  carried  her  away  with  him 
high  into  the  clouds. 

The   brothers   rushed   headlong   back   to 

their  father,  told  him  of  their  misfortune, 

and  begged  permission  to  go  and  seek  their 

stolen  sister.     The  father  consented,  gave 

232 


THE  WATCH-TOWER 

them  each  a  horse  and  everything  needful 
for  a  journey,  and  they  set  out. 

After  many  wanderings  they  came  across 
a  watch-tower  which  stood  neither  on  earth 
nor  in  heaven.  When  they  reached  the 
place  it  occurred  to  them  that  their  sister 
might  be  within,  and  they  at  once  began  to 
take  counsel  among  themselves  as  to  how 
they  should  reach  it. 

After  long  consultation  they  decided  to 
kill  one  of  their  horses,  cut  his  skin  into  a 
long  strap,  fasten  the  end  to  an  arrow,  and 
shoot  it  up  into  some  place  in  the  watch- 
tower  where  it  would  hold  securely.  Then 
they  could  easily  climb  up.  The  two 
younger  brothers  asked  the  eldest  to  sacri- 
fice his  horse,  but  he  would  not;  nor  would 
the  second  brother.  So  the  youngest  brother 
slew  his  horse,  cut  the  hide  into  a  long  strap, 
bound  one  end  to  his  arrow,  and  with  his 
bow  shot  it  up  into  the  tower. 

But  now,  when  it  came  to  climbing  up  by 
233 


THE  WATCH-TOWER 

the  strap,  the  eldest  and  second  brothers  de- 
clined, whereupon  the  youngest  undertook 
the  adventure.  Arriving  at  the  tower,  he 
went  from  room  to  room,  until  at  last  he 
came  to  one  where  he  saw  his  sister  sitting, 
with  the  Dragon's  head  in  her  lap,  the 
Dragon  being  fast  asleep. 

When  the  sister  perceived  her  brother  she 
was  greatly  terrified,  and  softly  entreated 
him  to  flee  before  the  Dragon  should  awake. 
This  he  would  not  do,  but  seized  his  cudgel, 
struck  out  boldly,  and  dealt  the  Dragon  a 
heavy  blow  upon  the  head.  The  Dragon, 
without  awaking,  put  his  hand  up  to  the 
spot,  murmuring,  "  Something  hit  me  right 
here." 

As  he  said  this  the  Prince  fetched  him  a 
second  blow  upon  the  head,  and  again  the 
Dragon  murmured,  "  Something  hit  me 
here."  But  now,  as  the  brother  made  ready 
to  strike  a  third  time,  the  sister  made  a  sign 
showing  the  Dragon's  vulnerable  spot,  and 
234 


THE  WATCH-TOWER 

the  brother,  giving  a  powerful  blow,  killed 
him  as  dead  as  a  mouse. 

Then  the  Princess  pushed  him  from  her, 
flew  into  her  brother's  arms,  and  smothered 
him  with  kisses.  After  this  she  took  him  by 
the  hand  and  began  to  lead  him  through  all 
the  rooms.  First  she  led  him  into  a  room 
in  which  a  black  fox,  with  a  harness  of  pure 
silver,  was  standing  before  a  manger.  Then 
she  led  him  into  another  room,  where  a  white 
horse,  with  a  harness  of  pure  gold,  stood 
before  another  manger.  Finally  she  led 
him  into  a  third  room,  where  a  brown  horse 
stood  before  a  manger,  his  harness  all 
studded  with  diamonds. 

When  they  had  gone  through  these 
rooms,  the  sister  led  her  brother  into  a 
chamber  where  a  maiden  sat  before  a  gold- 
en embroidery-frame,  working  with  golden 
threads.  From  this  room  she  led  him  into 
another,  where  a  second  maiden  was  spin- 
ning gold  thread,  and  at  last  into  a  room 
235 


THE  WATCH-TOWER 

where  a  third  maiden  was  stringing  pearls, 
while  at  her  feet  a  golden  hen,  with  a  brood 
of  chickens,  was  picking  up  pearls  from  a 
golden  basin. 

When  they  had  gone  through  all  these 
rooms  and  seen  all  they  wanted  to  see,  they 
went  back  into  the  room  where  the  dead 
Dragon  lay,  dragged  him  out,  and  threw  him 
head-foremost  down  to  the  earth.  When 
the  other  brothers  saw  him  they  were  almost 
convulsed  with  terror.  But  now  the  young- 
est brother  let  down  to  them  first  their  sis- 
ter and  then  the  three  maidens,  one  after 
another,  each  with  her  work.  As  he  let 
them  down  he  allotted  one  to  each  of  his 
brothers,  and  when  he  let  down  the  third, 
that  is,  the  one  with  the  hen  and  chickens, 
he  reserved  her  to  himself. 

But  his  brothers,  filled  with  envy  because 

he  was  the  hero  who  had  discovered  all  these 

things  and  rescued  their  sister,  cut  the  strap 

to  make  it  impossible  for  him  to  return. 

236 


THE  WATCH-TOWER 

Then  they  rode  away,  and  coming  upon  a 
shepherd-boy  with  his  sheep,  they  dressed 
him  like  their  brother  and  brought  him  home 
to  their  father,  forbidding  their  sister  and 
the  maidens,  with  fearful  threats,  under  any 
circumstances  to  reveal  the  secret. 

After  a  time  word  came  to  the  youngest 
brother  in  the  tower  that  his  brothers  and 
the  shepherd  were  about  to  marry  those 
three  maidens.  On  the  day  appointed  for 
the  eldest  brother's  wedding  he  mounted  the 
white  horse  and  flew  down  into  the  midst  of 
the  wedding-guests  just  as  they  were  leav- 
ing the  church,  and  struck  his  brother  light- 
ly upon  the  back  with  his  club.  The  brother 
fell  from  his  horse,  and  the  other  flew  back 
to  his  watch-tower. 

When  the  second  brother's  wedding-day 
came  he  again  flew  down  upon  his  steed, 
gave  the  second  brother  a  blow  upon  the 
back,  so  that  he  fell  from  his  horse,  and 
again  flew  away.  But  when  he  at  last  heard 
237 


THE  WATCH-TOWER 

that  the  shepherd  was  about  to  marry  the 
third  maiden  he  again  mounted  his  steed, 
flew  among  the  wedding-guests  just  as  they 
were  coming  out  of  the  church,  and  dealt 
the  bridegroom  such  a  blow  upon  the  head 
with  his  club  that  the  fellow  lay  dead  upon 
the  spot. 

In  a  trice  the  Prince  was  surrounded  by 
the  wedding-guests,  who  were  determined 
that  he  should  not  escape  this  time.  He 
made  no  attempt  to  do  so,  however,  but  re- 
mained where  he  was,  made  himself  known 
as  the  King's  youngest  son,  revealed  the 
trick  his  brothers  had  played  upon  him  by 
means  of  the  shepherd,  and  told  how  they 
had  left  him  in  the  watch-tower  where  he 
had  found  his  sister  and  killed  the  Dragon. 

His  sister  and  the  maidens  bore  witness 
to  the  truth  of  his  story,  and  when  the  King 
heard  all  this  he  banished  the  two  elder 
brothers  from  his  presence,  married  the 
youngest  to  the  maiden  of  his  choice,  and 
238 


THE  BRIDGE 

/ 

decreed  that  he  should  be  heir  to  the  throne 
after  his  own  decease. 

'  That  is  a  real  story,  grandmother,"  said 
the  little  boy.  "  But  it  was  not  so  very  long. 
Couldn't  you  tell  me  just  one  more?  " 

"  If  you  will  promise  not  to  ask  for  an- 
other," said  the  grandmother,  "  I  will  tell 
you  a  short  one.  But  you  must  not  ask  for 
another." 

"  I  promise,"  said  the  little  boy. 

Then  she  told  him  about 

THE   BRIDGE 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  man  who 
had  a  grown-up  son.  One  day  the  old  man 
said  to  his  son,  "  My  dear  son,  you  are  now 
big  and  strong  enough  to  earn  your  own 
living;  so  go  out  into  the  world  and  seek  a 
place  of  service." 

So  the  youth  went  out  into  the  world  and 
came  to  a  large  village,  where  he  hired  him- 
239 


THE  BRIDGE 

self  out  as  shepherd  to  a  rich  moujik.  It 
was  his  duty  to  drive  the  sheep  to  pasture 
early  every  morning.  The  flock  was  enor- 
mously large  and  filled  the  whole  valley. 
The  pasture,  however,  was  on  the  other  side 
of  a  stream,  and  unluckily  a  storm  had  car- 
ried away  the  bridge  the  night  before.  Only 
a  narrow  plank  remained,  and  this  was  so 
frail  that  but  one  sheep  could  cross  at  a  time. 
There  was  nothing  else  for  the  shepherd  to 
do,  therefore,  than  to  drive  the  sheep  slowly, 
one  by  one,  to  the  other  side. 

Here  the  grandmother  got  up  and  went 
to  the  stove  as  if  she  had  finished. 

"  But,  grandmother,"  said  the  little  boy, 
"  what  happened  next?  Tell  the  rest!  " 

The  grandmother  laughed.  '  Wait  until 
the  shepherd  has  driven  all  the  sheep  over 
the  bridge." 

"  Yes,  but  when  wiU  that  be? "  asked  the 
little  boy. 

240 


Drive  the  sheep  slowly,  one  by  one,  to  the  other  side 


THE  BRIDGE 

"  When  there  are  no  more  left  on  this 
side,"  said  the  grandmother. 

*  Was    that   one    of   your    great-grand- 
mother's stories? "  asked  the  little  boy. 

*  Yes,"  said  the  grandmother.     "  Don't 
you  like  it?  " 

"  I  like  it  a  little— the  first  part  of  it," 
said  the  little  boy.  "  But " 

"Remember  your  promise!"  said  the 
grandmother. 


241 


CHAPTER   XX 

TRINITY-MONDAY 

YOU  would  hardly  know  the  village.  As 
you  looked  down  the  street  it  would 
seem  as  if  a  forest  of  tall  masts  and  poles 
had  suddenly  sprung  up.  Before  every 
house  they  stood,  two  tall  uprights — very, 
very  tall — with  a  beam  across  the  top,  and 
from  the  beam  two  very  long  poles  hang- 
ing, with  a  board  connecting  the  lower  ends. 
Yes,  they  were  swings,  but  not  swings  like 
yours,  for  they  were  made  of  these  long, 
long  poles  instead  of  ropes. 

The  sun  was  hardly  up  when  the  little  boy 
came  out  of  the  court  and  made  a  dash  for 
the  swing.  There  were  boys  and  girls  on 
every  swing  as  far  as  you  could  see  down 
the  street,  and  in  some  of  them  were  fathers 
242 


TRINITY-MONDAY 

and  mothers,  too,  for  Trinity-Monday  is  a 
great  holiday,  and  no  one  works  who  is  not 
obliged  to. 

It  was  still  very  early.  The  hot  mid- 
summer sun  had  hardly  peeped  above  the 
distant  hills.  The  little  boy  had  a  long,  long 
day  for  swinging. 

In  the  swing  next  door  were  three  chil- 
dren standing  up,  and  their  father  with 
them,  swinging  very  high  and  shouting  joy- 
ously. The  father,  in  a  very  loud,  deep 
voice,  would  shout  a  long  "  Boo-oo-oo-m! " 
and  then  the  children  would  cry,  in  their 
shrill  treble,  "  Hurra-a-a-r !  "  with  a  long 
roll  of  the  "  r."  All  down  the  street  they 
were  "  boom  "-ing  and  "  hurra-a-a-r  "-ing ; 
it  was  a  beautiful  noise. 

The  sisters  came  running  out,  and  after 
them  the  brother  and  the  father.  And  what 
swing  went  so  high  as  the  little  boy's  swing? 
And  from  before  which  house  was  there  so 
deep  a  "  Boo-oo-oo-m!  "  or  so  shrill  and  joy- 
243 


TRINITY-MONDAY 

ous  a  "  Hurra-a-a-r!  "  ?  The  fun  went  on 
all  day,  the  children  visiting  from  swing  to 
swing,  and  the  fathers  and  mothers  taking 
a  turn  now  and  again.  What  a  joyful 
Trinity-Monday ! 

The  grandmothers  did  not  swing.  They 
sat  in  the  house-doors  with  the  babies  of  the 
young  mothers  or  took  their  knitting  and 
exchanged  calls  with  one  another.  The  long 
day  seemed  very  short  even  to  them. 

By  the  time  sunset  came  the  little  boy 
was  thoroughly  tired  out  with  delight.  He 
came  and  lay  down  on  the  bench  in  the 
court  where  the  grandmother  was  sitting. 
For  once  her  hands  were  idle.  She  was 
thinking  of  her  own  swinging  days,  a  long, 
long  time  ago. 

"  There  is  time  for  a  story,"  said  the  lit- 
tle boy,  "  and  you  are  doing  nothing,  little 
grandmamma. ' ' 

The  grandmother  smiled  indulgently  and 
told  him  the  story  of 

244 


SO  BORN,  SO  DEE 
SO   BORN,    SO  DIE 

In  olden  times,  when  all  the  world  be- 
lieved in  Christianity,  there  lived  in  India 
a  pious  Christian.  This  man  resolved  to 
lead  a  hermit's  life;  and,  as  he  was  wander- 
ing up  and  down  through  India,  he  found 
a  great  cave,  where  he  took  up  his  abode, 
that  he  might  lead  a  life  wholly  pleasing  to 
God.  Thus  passed  away  many  years  while 
he  dwelt  in  the  solitude  of  the  wilderness, 
far  from  any  living  soul. 

One  evening,  when  he  had  said  his  even- 
ing prayer  and  lain  down  upon  his  bed  of 
moss,  he  thought  in  his  heart,  "  O  Thou  my 
God!  I  have  already  tarried  many  years  in 
this  solitude,  and  it  has  never  been  vouch- 
safed to  me  to  convert  a  single  soul  to  Thy 
holy  faith.  For  in  the  many  years  which  I 
have  spent  here  I  have  seen  no  human  being 
nor  any  living  creature." 

While  thinking  thus  the  Hermit  stretched 
245 


SO  BORN,  SO  DIE 

himself  upon  his  bed  and  sweet  sleep  fell 
upon  his  eyelids.  He  awoke  at  daybreak, 
said  his  morning  prayer,  and  then  became 
aware  of  a  little  Mouse,  which  looked  con- 
fidingly at  him  and  glided  toward  him  into 
the  cave. 

Then  said  the  Hermit,  "  Praise  and  glory 
to  Thee,  O  God,  that  I  again  look  upon 
one  of  Thy  creatures !  " 

Little  by  little  there  grew  up  between  the 
Mouse  and  the  Hermit  such  a  warm  friend- 
ship that  the  two  were  perfectly  inseparable. 
The  hoary  Hermit  derived  the  greatest  joy 
from  this  friendship,  and  he  constantly  be- 
sought God  to  transform  the  little  Mouse 
into  a  young  girl,  to  be  a  daughter  to  him. 

His  prayer  was  answered;  the  little 
Mouse  became  a  fair  young  girl,  and  the 
old  man  felt  at  last  that  his  life  would  not 
have  been  spent  in  vain,  since  it  was  vouch- 
safed to  him  to  instruct  this  creature  of  God 
in  the  good  and  right  way. 
246 


SO  BORN,  SO  DIE 

So  passed  away  the  Hermit's  life  in 
peace  and  piety  until  the  young  girl  had 
attained  the  full  bloom  of  maidenhood. 
Then  thought  the  Hermit: 

"  I  am  already  full  of  days ;  I  have  lived 
always  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  end  of 
my  life  draws  near.  It  would  be  a  sin  if 
this  beautiful  creature  of  God,  who  knows 
nothing  of  the  world,  should  be  left  to  grow 
old  and  wither  away  in  this  solitary  vale.  It 
would  be  better  that  she  should  marry." 

Impelled  by  this  thought,  he  called  the 
maiden  to  him  and  said,  "  My  little  daugh- 
ter, you  are  now  grown  up  and  old  enough 
to  be  married.  You  ought  also  to  see  the 
world,  for  this  place  where  we  live  is  not 
the  whole  world.  The  world  is  large,  and 
there  are  in  it  many  beautiful  creatures  of 
God  whom  you  have  never  seen." 

The  maiden  answered,  "  I  thank  you,  my 
father;  may  your  will  be  done  in  each  and 
every  thing.  Only  let  me  make  one  request, 
247 


SO  BORN,  SO  DIE 

that  you  will  find  me  a  husband  to  my  lik- 
ing, and,  before  all  things,  let  him  be  that 
creature  of  God  which  is  stronger  than  any 
other  in  the  world." 

The  Hermit  consented  and  set  off  upon 
his  quest.  In  the  course  of  his  journey  he 
met  the  Moon,  and  greeted  him  with,  "  God 
be  with  thee,  thou  holy  Moon,  strongest  of 
all  God's  creatures!  I  have  a  daughter; 
take  her  for  thy  wife !  " 

The  Moon  answered,  "  What  foolish  talk 
is  this?  I  the  strongest  of  God's  creatures! 
I  shine  in  the  night,  but  as  soon  as  the  Sun 
overtakes  me  he  robs  me  of  my  light.  Ad- 
dress yourself  to  the  Sun;  he  is  stronger 
than  I." 

The  Hermit  now  betook  himself  to  the 
Sun,  and  said,  "  God  be  with  thee,  O  strong 
and  shining  Sun!  Thou  art  the  strongest 
of  all  God's  creatures.  I  have  a  daughter; 
take  her  for  thy  wife! " 

And  the  Sun  replied,  "  Thou  errest  in 
248 


SO  BORN,  SO  DIE 

taking  me  for  the  strongest.  The  clouds  are 
stronger  and  mightier  than  I,  for  when  I 
shed  abroad  my  rays  then  the  clouds  unroll 
themselves  and  veil  my  splendor.  So  they 
are  stronger  than  I." 

Then  the  Hermit  sought  a  Cloud,  and 
greeted  him  with,  "  God  be  with  thee!  "  and 
said,  "  Thou  Cloud-man,  strongest  and 
mightiest  of  all  God's  creatures,  I  have  a 
daughter;  take  her  for  thy  wife! " 

And  the  Cloud-man  answered,  '  That 
cannot  be,  for  the  Wind  is  stronger  than  I. 
When  I  spread  myself  over  the  bright  ex- 
panse of  heaven,  then  comes  the  Wind  and 
tears  me  into  countless  fragments.  Go  to 
the  Wind;  he  is  stronger  than  I." 

The  Hermit  betook  himself  to  the  Wind, 
hailed  him  with,  "  God  be  with  thee !  "  and 
said,  "  Thou  mightiest  of  all  God's  creat- 
ures, strongest  of  all  in  the  world,  take  my 
daughter  for  thy  wife! " 

The  Wind  answered,  "  Oh,  old  man,  how 
249 


SO  BORN,  SO  DIE 

should  I  be  the  strongest?  When  I  begin 
to  blow,  the  Mountain  stands  in  my  way, 
so  that  the  people  on  its  farther  side  know 
nothing  about  me.  Go  to  the  Mountain;  he 
is  stronger  than  I." 

The  old  man  went  to  the  Mountain  and 
said,  "  God  be  with  thee,  thou  rocky  Moun- 
tain, strongest  thing  in  the  world!  I  have 
a  daughter;  take  her  for  thy  wife! " 

"  Oho,  old  man ! "  answered  the  Moun- 
tain, "  do  you  imagine  that  I  am  the  strong- 
est in  the  world?  Don't  you  see  me  riddled 
all  over  by  mice,  who  burrow  in  me  night 
and  day?  Search  for  a  Mouse,  for  he  is 
stronger  than  I." 

So  the  old  man  went  to  a  Mouse,  and  said, 
"  Thou  strongest  of  all  God's  creatures,  I 
have  a  daughter;  take  her  for  thy  wife! " 

"  I  am  not  unwilling,"  answered  the 
Mouse,  "  but  I  have  not  yet  seen  the  maiden. 
Bring  her  here  first,  that  I  may  see  her ;  then 
will  I  wed  her." 

250 


SO  BORN,  SO  DIE 

The  old  Hermit  returned  home  and  said, 
"  Well,  my  little  daughter,  I  have  found  a 
husband  for  you;  follow  me!  " 

They  presented  themselves  before  the 
Mouse,  and  the  old  Hermit  said,  "  Here  is 
thy  wife." 

"  Oho,  what  shall  I  do  with  her? "  asked 
the  Mouse.  "  She  cannot  even  get  into  my 
little  palace!" 

But  the  maiden  said  to  the  old  man, 
"  This  shall  be  my  husband ;  only  pray  to 
God  to  transform  me  again  into  a  Mouse, 
that  I  may  go  with  him." 

The  old  Hermit,  who  saw  no  help  for  it, 
fell  upon  his  knees  and  begged  God  to  re- 
store his  daughter  to  her  former  state.  That 
very  moment  the  maiden  was  changed  into 
a  Mouse  and  went  with  her  husband. 

As  for  the  old  Hermit,  he  still  lived  on 
piously  till  the  end  of  his  days,  convinced 
that  every  one  must  die  with  the  same  nature 
with  which  he  was  born. 
251 


SO  BORN,  SO  DIE 

"  I  should  like  to  go  to  the  sun,  grand- 
mother," said  the  little  boy. 

6  You  would  find  it  very  hot,"  said  the 
grandmother. 

"  Did  you  ever  go,  little  grandma? " 
asked  the  little  boy. 

"  No  one  goes  nowadays,"  said  the  grand- 
mother. 

4  They  went  in  your  great-grandmother's 
time? "  ventured  the  little  boy. 

"  Before  her  time,  even,"  said  the  grand- 
mother. *  Things  are  greatly  changed  since 
then." 

The  younger  sisters  had  come  in  from 
swinging  and  were  sitting  on  the  other  end 
of  the  bench.  The  eldest  sister  was  walking 
with  her  betrothed  in  the  lovely  summer 
twilight. 

"  No  one  ever  went  to  the  sun,"  said  one 
of  the  sisters.     "It  is  much  too  far  off.     I 
have  learned  it  in  school.     And  this  world 
goes  around  it  every  day." 
252 


THE  ENCHANTED  LAMBS 

"  There  were  no  schools  in  your  great- 
grandmother's  time,"  replied  the  grand- 
mother, "  and  things  were  different  then. 
The  world  did  not  move  in  those  days;  it 
rested  on  three  great  whales  which  were 
swimming  in  the  ocean.  My  grandmother 
told  me  all  about  it." 

The  little  boy  pondered  this  fact  for  a 
while.  Presently  he  said: 

"  One  more  story,  little  grandmother? " 

It  was  still  light,  for  twilight  is  very 
long  in  Russia.  The  grandmother  told  the 
story  of 

THE   ENCHANTED   LAMBS 

An  Emperor  once  had  an  only  daughter 
of  surpassing  beauty.  In  his  pride  he 
caused  it  to  be  sounded  abroad  through  all 
the  world  that  the  youth  who  should  guess 
the  position  of  a  certain  mole  on  the  maid- 
en's person  should  have  her  for  his  wife,  and 
the  half  of  his  empire  besides.  But  those 
253 


THE  ENCHANTED  LAMBS 

who  did  not  guess  right  should  be  trans- 
formed into  lambs. 

This  wonderful  news  spread  over  the 
whole  world,  so  that  wooers  by  thousands 
came  from  all  lands  to  sue  for  the  Princess's 
hand.  But  all  in  vain.  A  countless  number 
of  them  were  changed  into  lambs. 

The  news  came  also  to  the  ears  of  a  youth 
who  was  as  poor  as  a  church  mouse,  but  who 
was  as  sharp  as  a  needle  for  all  that.  His 
desire  to  possess  the  beautiful  maiden  and 
half  the  empire  grew  so  strong  that  he  de- 
cided to  try  his  fortune;  not,  however,  by 
suing  at  once  for  the  maiden's  hand,  but  by 
seeing  her  first  and  asking  her  something. 

Arrived  at  the  Emperor's  court,  what 
wonders  does  he  see!  Lambs  of  all  kinds 
pressed  around  him — God  only  knows  how 
many  there  were. 

They  swarmed  about  him,  a  pitiful  sight 
and  a  warning  example  that  might  well 
turn  him  from  his  project.  He  would  have 
254 


THE  ENCHANTED  LAMBS 

gone  back,  but  at  the  gate  was  a  monster 
of  a  man,  wrapped  in  a  blood-red  mantle, 
with  wings,  and  an  eye  in  the  middle  of  his 
forehead,  who  cried  out  in  a  commanding 
voice,  "  Halt!  Where  are  you  going?  Go 
back,  or  you  are  lost! " 

So  he  went  back  and  caused  himself  to  be 
announced  to  the  Emperor's  daughter,  who 
was  already  waiting  for  him.  She  said  to 
him,  "  Did  you  come  to  get  me  for  your 
wife?" 

He  answered,  "No,  Imperial  Highness; 
but  as  I  understood  that  you  were  thinking 
of  marrying  at  the  first  favorable  opportu- 
nity, I  come  to  ask  you  if  you  need  more 
bridal-clothes." 

"What  kind  of  clothes  have  you  to 
offer? "  she  asked. 

He  answered,  "  I  have  a  skirt  of  marble, 

a  bodice  of  dew,  a  head-dress  of  threads 

made  from  the  sun's  rays,  with  a  clasp  of 

the  moon  and  stars;  then  I  have  shoes  of 

255 


THE  ENCHANTED  LAMBS 

pure  gold  which  were  neither  sewed  nor 
made  by  a  smith.  So,  tell  me,  do  you  wish 
to  buy  these  things  or  not?  You  have  but 
to  command,  and  I  will  bring  them  to  you, 
but  only  on  one  condition.  When  you  try 
these  things  on,  piece  by  piece,  there  shall 
be  no  one  present  but  only  us  two.  If  they 
fit  we  shall  soon  come  to  terms;  if  not,  I 
will  never  offer  them  to  another  soul,  but 
will  lay  them  aside  and  keep  them  for  my 
own  bride." 

The  Princess  agreed  to  this  condition  and 
gave  him  the  order  to  bring  the  garments. 
And,  really,  he  brought  them  to  her.  God 
only  knows  where  he  found  them  and  how 
he  came  to  possess  them;  it  is  enough  for  us 
to  know  that  he  kept  his  word. 

They  shut  themselves  up  in  a  room,  and 
first  she  tried  on  the  skirt,  while  he  watched 
narrowly  to  see  if  by  chance  he  could  dis- 
cover the  mole.  To  his  joy  he  saw  it  under 
her  right  knee — a  little  golden  star;  but  not 
256 


THE  ENCHANTED  LAMBS 

the  slightest  change  in  his  face  betrayed  his 
discovery.  He  only  thought  in  his  heart, 
"  It  is  well  for  me  to-day  and  for  all  time !  " 

Then  the  Princess  tried  on  the  bodice  and 
all  the  other  things,  and  they  fitted  her  as 
if  she  had  been  poured  into  them.  They 
agreed  as  to  the  price;  she  paid  it  on  the 
spot;  he  packed  up  his  gold  and  departed. 

After  a  few  days,  having  dressed  him- 
self in  the  finest  suit  that  could  be  bought 
for  money,  he  came  back  to  sue  for  the 
hand  of  the  Emperor's  daughter.  When 
he  appeared  before  the  Emperor  he  said, 
'  Worthy  Emperor,  I  come  to  woo  your 
daughter.  Make  no  objections;  give  her  to 
me!" 

"Good!"  answered  the  Emperor;  "but 
do  you  know  how  my  daughter's  hand  is 
won?  Take  good  care,  for  if  you  do  not 
guess  the  mole  you  are  lost;  but  if  you  do 
guess  it  she  will  be  yours,  and  the  half  of 
my  empire  into  the  bargain." 
257 


THE  ENCHANTED  LAMBS 

The  youth  bowed  to  the  Emperor  and 
said,  "My  greetings,  O  Emperor  and 
father-in-law!  If  that  is  the  case  she  is 
mine.  She  has  a  little  star  under  the  right 
knee." 

The  Emperor  was  not  a  little  surprised 
that  he  could  know  this,  but  there  was  noth- 
ing for  it  but  to  yield,  and  so  the  youth  was 
married  to  the  Princess. 

When  the  Emperor  proceeded  to  give  him 
the  half  of  his  empire  the  new-made  son-in- 
law  said  to  him,  "  I  willingly  leave  this  half 
of  your  empire  to  you  if  you  are  ready  to 
restore  these  poor  souls  to  their  former  con- 
dition." 

The  Emperor  answered  that  this  was  no 
longer  in  his  power,  but  lay  in  the  hands  of 
his  daughter,  "  who  now,"  he  added,  "  is 
your  wife." 

So  he  turned  to  his  wife  with  this  request, 
and  she  answered: 

"  Cut  the  vein  under  the  famous  mole. 
258 


THE  ENCHANTED  LAMBS 

Let  every  lamb  touch  the  end  of  its  tongue 
to  the  blood  and  moisten  its  underlip  with 
it,  and  they  will  all  be  changed  to  men  and 
live  as  before." 

He  did  as  she  directed,  and  when  the 
lambs  had  all  assumed  the  forms  of  men 
again  they  were  invited  as  wedding-guests. 

Thus  the  youth  took  the  maiden  home 
amid  song  and  chime  of  bells,  and  there  he 
treated  everybody  royally  to  meat  and  drink, 
until  finally  they  took  their  homeward  way. 
But  he  stayed  there  with  his  young  wife, 
and  God  knows  what  fortunes  they  met  with 
in  life  that  are  all  forgotten  now. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  have  forgotten  any- 
thing, grandmother,"  said  the  little  boy. 
"  It  is  not  dark  yet,  and  I  wanted  a  longer 
story." 

"  It  is  not  I  who  forgot,"  answered  the 
grandmother.  "  I  remember  every  word  as 
it  was  told  to  me." 

259 


THE  KNOT-GRASS 

"  It  must  have  been  your  great-grand- 
mother," observed  the  little  boy.  "  I  wish 
she  had  had  a  better  memory." 

"  I  will  tell  you  a  short  story  to  make  up," 
said  the  grandmother.  "  It  explains  why 
there  is  so  much  knot-grass." 

"  I  should  like  to  know  that,"  said  one  of 
the  sisters.  "  My  fingers  are  tired  rooting 
it  out." 

So  the  grandmother  told  about 

THE    KNOT-GRASS 

Once  upon  a  time  an  old  hag  got  up  early 
and  went  out  among  the  mountains  to 
gather  all  sorts  of  green  herbs  and  practise 
her  sorceries. 

About  midday  she  set  out  upon  her  re- 
turn, and  met  some  Knot-grass  hastening  to 
the  mountains. 

"Hi!  whither  away?"  asked  the  witch. 
"  What  bad  luck  sends  you  on  this  rough 
road?" 

260 


THE  KNOT-GRASS 

"  Upon  my  word,  little  mother,  I  can't 
stand  it  down  there  any  longer!  Wherever 
the  moujik  digs  or  ploughs  he  does  his  best 
to  root  me  out,  tearing  and  clawing  me  with 
all  his  might.  There  is  nothing  left  for  me 
but  to  flee  away  and  seek  some  quiet  place 
where  I  can  grow  and  spread  in  peace." 

"  Go  back  to  your  home,  little  grass,"  re- 
plied the  old  hag.  "  Mark  my  words,  the 
more  they  dig  and  hoe  about  a  plant  the  bet- 
ter it  thrives  and  the  more  it  spreads.  What 
does  the  proverb  say?  '  Woe  to  the  thing 
that  never  is  harvested! ' 

The  Knot-grass  turned  about,  and  ever 
since  that  day  it  has  been  found  in  meadow 
and  field,  in  vineyard  and  garden — every- 
where, indeed,  where  it  is  not  wanted;  and  it 
is  a  hard  matter  to  root  it  out. 


261 


CHAPTER   XXI 

THRESHING-TIME 

IT  was  the  joyous  threshing-time.  The 
summer's  work  was  over.  The  harvest 
had  been  good,  and  from  all  the  fields  the 
high-piled  carts  were  bringing  the  sheaves 
to  the  threshing-floors.  On  these  high  levels 
busy  flails  were  flying,  making  a  quick  music 
that  chimed  well  with  the  sweet,  melancholy 
threshing-song  of  the  girls  who  were  gather- 
ing the  wind-swept  grain  into  bags.  When 
the  threshing  was  all  done  the  little  boy's 
eldest  sister  would  be  married,  for  autumn 
is  the  time  for  marriages,  when  vegetables 
and  pork  are  plenty  and  there  is  money  to 
buy  brandy  from  the  Jew. 

The  grandmother  had  gone  out  with  the 
little  boy  to  see  the  threshing  and  to  hear 
262 


THRESHING-TIME 

the  threshing-song.  She  had  sung  that 
same  song  in  her  young  days,  and  so  had  her 
great-grandmother  before  her.  On  the  way 
back  to  the  house  a  cow-herd  woman  met 
them — not  their  own,  but  that  of  a  neigh- 
bor— and  told  them  that  her  old  master,  the 
bolshak,  or  head  of  the  family,  was  dead. 
The  grandmother  looked  terror-stricken, 
and  hastily  exclaimed: 

"  May  the  Saviour's  cross  be  with  thee! " 

The  cow-herd  woman  went  on  her  way  to 
spread  the  news. 

"  Why  did  you  say  that,  grandmother?  " 
asked  the  little  boy. 

4  To  scare  away  the  death  angel,"  replied 
the  grandmother.  "  Never  forget  to  say 
that  when  any  one  tells  you  of  a  death; 
otherwise  it  may  come  to  your  own  house 
next." 

The  grandmother  seemed  sad  when  she 
reached  home.  She  had  known  the  old  man 
when  she  was  a  girl.  He  had  been  a  stern 
263 


THE  THREE  EELS 

and  severe  bolshak  in  his  family,  keeping  all 
his  married  sons  at  home  and  making  them 
work  hard  for  him,  not  at  all  like  her  son, 
the  starosta,  who  was  so  kind  to  his  children. 
Nevertheless,  it  made  her  sad  that  he  was 
dead.  She  sat  quiet,  distaff  and  spindle 
lying  idly  in  her  lap. 

"  Grandmother,"  said  the  little  boy, 
"  would  it  comfort  you  to  tell  me  a  story?  " 

"  Indeed  it  would,"  said  the  grandmother. 
"  Come  now,  sit  on  that  stool  and  hold  this 
yarn  for  me,  and  I  will  tell  you  about 


"THE  THREE  EELS." 


Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  fisherman 
who  on  three  successive  days  made  out  to 
catch  only  an  eel  a  day.  When  he  found 
only  one  eel  in  his  net  on  the  third  day  he 
cried  out  angrily: 

"  What's  the  use  of  fishing  when  one  gets 
nothing  more  than  one  eel  day  after  day? " 

Immediately  the  tongue  of  one  of  the  eels 
264 


THE  THREE  EELS 

was  loosed,  and  he  said,  "  Wretched  man, 
you  little  know  what  a  precious  catch  you 
have  had!  You  have  fished  up  great  good 
luck  for  yourself.  Only  now  do  as  I  advise 
you:  Kill  one  of  us  three  and  divide  him  into 
four  parts;  give  one  piece  to  your  wife  to 
eat,  the  second  to  the  mother-dog,  the  third 
to  the  mare,  and  bury  the  fourth  in  the 
ground  just  above  your  house.  Soon  your 
wife  will  bring  twins  into  the  world,  the  dog 
two  pups,  the  mare  two  full-blooded  stall- 
ions, and  above  your  house  will  spring  up 
two  golden  swords." 

The  fisherman  followed  the  Eel's  advice, 
and  indeed  in  the  course  of  time  everything 
happened  as  the  Eel  had  predicted — his  wife 
bore  twins,  the  dog  two  pups,  the  mare  two 
full-blooded  stallions,  and  above  his  house 
two  golden  swords  sprang  up. 

When  the  sons  grew  large  and  had  passed 
a  certain  number  of  years,  one  of  them  said 
to  his  father,  "  Father,  I  perceive  that  you 
265 


THE  THREE  EELS 

are  a  poor  man  and  cannot  keep  us  any 
longer;  so  let  me  take  a  horse,  a  dog,  and  a 
sword,  and  go  forth  into  the  world.  I  am 
young  and  need  experience;  and  where  my 
head  may  rest,  there  also  will  my  food  be 
found." 

When  he  had  thus  spoken  he  turned  to 
his  brother  with  the  words,  "  Brother,  God 
keep  you  I  I  go  to  seek  my  fortune.  Do  you 
stay  at  home,  work,  make,  and  save,  and 
honor  our  father.  Take  this  vial  of  water 
and  give  good  heed  to  it,  for  if  the  water  in 
it  becomes  dark  it  will  be  a  sure  sign  that  I 
have  perished." 

Thus  he  spoke  and  went  to  seek  his 
fortune. 

In  the  course  of  his  wanderings  he  came 
to  a  great  city,  where  the  King's  daughter 
saw  him  as  he  was  taking  a  walk  about  the 
town.  She  at  once  fell  desperately  in  love 
with  him,  and  begged  her  father  to  invite 
him  to  the  house.  This  he  did.  When  the 
266 


THE  THREE  EELS 

youth  entered  the  King's  apartments,  and 
the  maiden  saw  the  sword,  the  dog,  and  the 
horse  near  by,  she  found  everything  on  and 
about  him  so  fine  that  it  seemed  to  her  noth- 
ing in  the  whole  world  could  be  finer.  She 
fell  more  madly  in  love  with  him  than  ever, 
and  said  to  her  father,  "  Father,  I  want  to 
marry  that  youth! " 

The  King  was  very  well  pleased,  the 
young  man  had  nothing  against  it,  so  the 
bargain  was  concluded  and  the  marriage 
celebrated  according  to  form  and  custom. 

One  evening,  as  the  youth  stood  at  the 
window  with  his  wife,  he  noticed  in  the  dis- 
tance a  large  mountain  which  was  all  a  light 
blaze.  He  asked  his  wife  what  was  the  cause 
of  this,  and  she  answered,  "  Oh,  sir,  do  not 
ask  me!  That  is  a  magic  mountain  that 
spits  lightnings  by  day  and  at  night  stands 
wreathed  in  flames,  and  whoever  goes  there 
to  see  what  is  the  matter  is  instantly  struck 
dumb  and  remains  enchanted  on  the  spot." 
267 


THE  THREE  EELS 

He  paid  no  heed  to  her  words,  but  mount- 
ed his  horse,  girded  on  his  sword,  called  his 
dog,  and  rode  to  the  mountain.  When  he 
reached  it  he  met  an  old  woman  perched  on 
a  rock,  holding  in  one  hand  a  staff  and  in 
the  other  a  little  weed.  As  soon  as  he  saw 
her  he  asked  her  why  the  mountain  had  these 
peculiarities,  and  she  told  him  to  ride  along 
and  he  would  soon  find  out. 

He  did  so,  and  the  old  woman  conducted 
him  to  a  court  hedged  in  with  the  bones  of 
heroes,  and  around  in  the  court  were  count- 
less men  standing  stark  and  stiff,  all  en- 
chanted. He  had  hardly  stepped  into  this 
court  when  he,  too,  as  also  his  horse  and  his 
dog,  grew  rigid  and  changed  to  stone  on 
the  spot  where  they  stood. 

At  the  same  moment  the  water  in  the 
brother's  bottle  at  home  grew  dark,  and  the 
brother  announced  to  the  father  and  mother 
that  his  brother,  their  son,  was  dead  and  that 
he  must  go  abroad  and  seek  him. 
268 


THE  THREE  EELS 

So  he  travelled  from  place  to  place  and 
from  city  to  city,  until  luck  took  him  to  that 
very  town  and  to  the  King's  palace.  At 
sight  of  him  the  King  rushed  to  his  daugh- 
ter with  the  good  news,  "  Your  husband  has 
returned! " 

She  ran  down  to  meet  him,  and  thought 
he  was  her  husband,  for  the  two  brothers 
were  as  much  alike  as  the  two  halves  of  a 
cut  apple.  She  thought  it  was  the  same 
horse,  the  same  dog,  and  the  same  sword; 
and  father  and  daughter  rushed  joyfully  to 
meet  him.  They  kissed  and  caressed  him, 
the  King  thinking  that  it  was  his  son-in- 
law,  the  daughter  thinking  that  it  was  her 
husband. 

The  youth  was  at  first  quite  bewildered 
by  these  signs  of  affection,  but  it  occurred 
to  him  that  they  were  for  his  brother,  and  so 
he  feigned  to  be  her  husband  and  the  King's 
son-in-law. 

When  night  came  they  retired,  but  he  laid 
269 


THE  THREE  EELS 

his  drawn  sword  in  the  bed  between  them. 
The  woman  wondered  at  this,  but  he  said  he 
could  not  sleep,  and  arose  and  went  to  the 
window.  At  sight  of  the  magic  mountain 
he  said,  "  Tell  me,  my  dear  little  wife,  why 
is  that  mountain  in  flames? " 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,"  answered  she,  "  did 
I  not  tell  you  that  other  evening  of  the  pe- 
culiarities of  that  mountain?  " 

"What  do  you  mean?"  he  asked  her 
again,  and  she  answered,  "  Every  one  who 
goes  there  is  enchanted  and  turned  to  stone. 
I  was  in  great  fear  during  your  absence  that 
you  had  gone  there." 

When  he  heard  this  he  guessed  the  trouble, 
and  in  his  anxiety  he  could  hardly  wait  for 
daybreak.  As  soon  as  it  was  light  he  mount- 
ed his  horse,  girded  on  his  sword,  called  to 
his  dog,  and  rode  to  the  mountain.  When 
he  saw  the  old  woman  he  drew  his  sword 
from  the  scabbard,  spurred  on  his  horse,  and 
set  the  dog  upon  her  without  saying  a  word. 
270 


THE  THREE  EELS 

The  old  woman  fell  back  in  a  fury  and 
called  out  to  him  not  to  cut  her  down.  He 
answered,  "  Then  give  me  back  my  broth- 
er! "  Hereupon  the  old  woman  led  his 
brother  out  and  restored  to  him  speech  and 
soul. 

When  the  brothers  had  greeted  each 
other,  and  asked  after  each  other's  health, 
they  turned  back  homeward.  But  on  the 
way  the  one  who  had  been  enchanted  said, 
"  O  brother,  come !  Let  us  turn  back  and 
deliver  those  men  from  perdition — those  who 
are  enchanted  as  I  was." 

No  sooner  said  than  done.  They  turn 
around,  seize  the  old  woman,  snatch  from 
her  the  little  weed,  and  begin  to  strike  the 
enchanted  men  with  it,  until  by  degrees  all 
of  them  begin  to  speak  and  move.  When 
all  those  enchanted  ones  had  been  called 
back  into  life  they  killed  the  old  witch.  The 
twin  brothers  went  back  to  the  King's  pal- 
ace and  all  the  others  to  their  houses. 
271 


THE  THREE  EELS 

I  have  heard  a  lie,  I  have  told  a  lie,  and 
God  give  you  joy! 

'  Why  do  you  say  that,  grandmother? " 
asked  the  little  boy. 

"  That  is  the  way  it  ends,"  said  the  grand- 
mother. 


272 


CHAPTER   XXII 

THE   KOROWAI 

THERE  were  great  doings  in  the  little 
boy's  house.  Grandmother  was  stand- 
ing at  the  long  table  beating  up  the  dough 
of  the  korowai  for  the  eldest  sister's  wed- 
ding, for  grandmother  was  greatly  skilled 
in  the  making  of  wedding-cakes.  No  part 
of  the  wedding-feast  is  so  important  as  the 
korowai,  and  the  little  boy  watched  with 
great  interest  as  she  mixed  together  the 
flour  and  eggs  and  lard,  the  molasses  and 
fruit,  the  saffron  and  the  savory  seeds  that 
go  to  make  korowai.  He  was  surprised  and 
somewhat  disappointed  when,  instead  of  put- 
ting it  into  the  oven  to  bake,  she  spread  a 
cloth  over  the  great  bowl  and  set  it  on  a 
278 


THE  KOROWAI 

chair  by  the  stove.  He  was  impatient  to 
have  it  baked,  it  smelled  so  nice  already! 

"  Aren't  you  going  to  bake  it,  grand- 
mother? "  he  asked. 

"  Not  just  yet,"  she  answered.  "  It  must 
rise  first." 

She  went  away  to  her  room,  giving  strict 
injunctions  to  be  called  as  soon  as  the  dough 
was  risen  enough. 

The  little  boy  did  not  follow  her.  Other 
things  were  being  done  in  his  mother's  room : 
vegetables  and  apples  were  being  pared, 
pork  roasted,  sausages  stuffed — it  was  very 
exciting.  Some  of  the  neighbor-women  had 
come  to  help,  and  the  little  boy  was  under 
everybody's  feet  at  once. 

"  Run  away,  little  boy,"  said  the  mother; 
"  go  ask  grandmother  to  tell  you  a  story." 

Grandmother  was  quite  ready.     She  was 

not  spinning,  she  was  only  resting,  for  she 

had  long  been  on  her  feet  over  the  korowai. 

So  everything  was  favorable  for  the  story  of 

274 


MORNING-DEW 


MORNING-DEW 

Once  there  were  three  brothers  whose 
father  gave  each  of  them  a  loaf  of  bread 
and  sent  them  to  seek  their  fortune.  When 
they  were  a  good  way  from  home,  and  be- 
gan to  feel  hungry,  the  two  elder  brothers 
said  to  the  youngest,  whom  they  had  always 
taken  for  a  simpleton,  "  Let  us  first  eat  your 
bread,  and  then  we  will  give  you  some  of 


ours." 


The  youngest  willingly  shared  his  bread 
with  them ;  but  on  the  next  day,  when  it  was 
time  to  eat,  the  two  brothers  ate  their  bread 
comfortably  without  offering  the  other  a 
single  bit. 

"  Well,  why  don't  you  give  me  a  piece  of 
bread,  when  you  have  eaten  mine  all  up? " 
he  asked,  and  received  the  answer: 

"  If  you  want  to  get  anything  from  us 
you  must  let  us  put  out  your  eyes,  that  we 
275 


MORNING-DEW 

may  go  around  with  you  begging  and  so 
earn  our  bread." 

What  could  the  poor  wretch  do?  He  was 
tortured  with  hunger,  so  he  allowed  them  to 
put  out  his  eyes.  But  the  brothers  led  him 
out  among  the  high  mountains,  left  him 
there  in  the  lurch,  and  went  on  to  seek  their 
fortune. 

Now  was  the  poor  fellow  neither  to  help 
nor  to  counsel.  At  last  night  closed  in,  and 
the  Vilas  came  to  dance  in  a  ring,  and  one 
of  them  said,  "  If  that  man  should  anoint 
his  eyes  with  morning-dew  he  would  see 
again  that  very  moment." 

He  had  hardly  heard  the  words  when  he 
began  to  grope  about  in  the  grass  for  dew, 
and  he  rubbed  it  on  his  eyes  and  saw  again. 
Then  he  filled  a  glass  with  this  dew  and  went 
on  to  seek  his  fortune. 

On  the  way  he  stumbled  across  a  Mouse 
which  was  staggering  around,  for  the  poor 
thing  was  blind.  So  he  wet  her  eyes  with 
276 


MORNING-DEW 

morning-dew  and  she  at  once  received  her 
sight.  The  little  Mouse  thanked  him,  say- 
ing, "  God  reward  you  until  I  have  an  op- 
portunity to  show  my  gratitude!  " 

A  little  farther  on  his  way  he  came  upon 
a  Bee  which  was  tumbling  around  and 
weeping  bitterly,  for  it  was  blind.  So  he 
anointed  the  Bee's  eyes,  too,  and  it  immedi- 
ately regained  its  sight  and  thanked  him, 
saying,  "  God  reward  you  until  I  have  an 
opportunity  to  prove  my  gratitude!  " 

A  little  farther  he  found  a  Dove  rolling 
around  in  the  sand.  He  asked  her,  "  What 
is  the  matter  that  you  tumble  around  so  in 
the  sand?  "  And  the  Dove  replied,  "  Why 
do  you  tease  me  with  questions  when  you 
cannot  help  me?  "  But. the  youth  answered, 
"  Keep  quiet  a  moment,"  and  he  anointed 
her  eyes.  Immediately  she  saw  again,  and 
said,  "  God  reward  you  until  I  have  an  op- 
portunity to  repay  you! " 

He  now  resumed  his  journey,  and  at  last 
277 


MORNING-DEW 

arrived  in  a  city  where,  as  it  happened,  his 
two  brothers  were  in  service.  Here  he  also 
was  lucky  enough  to  hire  himself  out  as 
shepherd. 

The  brothers  recognized  him,  and  one 
day,  when  he  was  out  in  the  fields,  they  lied 
to  their  master,  telling  him  that  the  shepherd 
had  boasted  that  he  was  able  to  reap  all 
the  cuckoo-corn1  in  a  single  night.  This 
pleased  the  master  much,  and  he  command- 
ed the  youth  to  do  this  thing  or  it  would  cost 
him  his  head. 

Weeping,  he  went  out  and  threw  himself 
down  upon  the  grass.  Then  came  the  little 
Mouse  and  comforted  him,  telling  him  to 
go  to  sleep  and  the  work  should  all  be  done. 
And  there  came  a  great  number  of  mice 
and  gnawed  down  the  whole  crop  of  cuckoo- 
corn,  so  that  when  the  youth  awoke  in  the 
morning  he  found  all  done.  And  he  showed 
it  to  the  master,  who  was  greatly  pleased. 

1  Maize ;  Indian  corn. 

278 


MORNING-DEW 

Then  the  brothers  came  to  his  master  and 
accused  him  of  having  said  that  he  could 
build  a  church  in  a  single  night.  In  the 
morning  when  he  came  home  he  was  told 
that  he  must  accomplish  this  work  or  it 
would  cost  him  his  head.  So  he  threw  him- 
self down  again,  weeping,  in  the  grass. 

Then  the  Bee  flew  by  and  bade  him  go 
peacefully  to  sleep  and  she  and  her  friends 
would  do  all  the  work  without  troubling 
him.  And  there  came  thousands  of  swarms 
of  bees  and  built  a  church  out  of  wax.  It 
was  still  night  when  the  master  woke  and 
saw  a  bright  light  over  everything.  He  was 
frightened  and  called  his  body-servant  to  go 
with  him  into  the  church,  which  was  already 
finished,  even  to  the  altars  and  everything 
else. 

Then  the  brothers  told  their  master  an- 
other lie — how  the  shepherd  had  said  that  he 
would  give  a  string  of  pearls  to  the  daugh- 
ter of  the  house,  and  that  next  morning  the 
279 


MORNING-DEW 

master's  little  son  should  play  with  a  golden 
apple.  When  he  came  home  he  was  told 
that  he  must  do  what  he  had  boasted  that  he 
could  do,  on  pain  of  death. 

Weeping,  he  threw  himself  down  in  the 
grass,  when  the  Dove  came  flying  to  him 
and  said,  "Dry  your  tears  and  go  to  rest; 
all  shall  be  done."  In  the  morning  the 
youth  found  a  beautiful  string  of  pearls 
and  a  golden  apple  by  his  side,  and  he  gave 
them  to  his  master's  daughter  and  little  son. 

Then  the  master  called  the  youth  into  his 
room  and  asked  him  how  he  had  managed 
to  do  all  these  things.  So  the  youth  told 
him  how  his  brothers  had  taken  away  his 
bread,  put  out  his  eyes,  abandoned  him  in 
the  mountains,  and  everything  else  that  had 
happened.  Then  the  master  had  the  two 
brothers  called  into  his  presence  and  caused 
them  to  be  beheaded.  But  the  youth  he  re- 
warded and  gave  him  his  daughter  to  wife. 

Whoever  believes  this  will  be  blessed. 
280 


MORNING-DEW 

"  The  dough  is  rising,  grandmother,"  said 
the  youngest  sister,  opening  the  door. 

Every  one  gathered  around  the  grand- 
mother, for  this  was  a  ceremony  of  great 
importance.  The  future  happiness  of  the 
young  couple  might  depend  upon  it. 

First  the  grandmother  took  the  dough 
out  of  the  bowl,  kneaded  it  a  little,  shaped 
it  properly,  and  laid  it  in  the  baking-pan. 
The  mother  was  standing  by  with  five  can- 
dles in  her  hand;  the  grandmother  took  them 
one  by  one,  planted  them  in  the  centre  and 
the  four  corners  of  the  korowai,  and  lighted 
them.  Then  all  the  women  stood  around 
and  began  to  sing.  It  was  a  somewhat  sad 
tune,  yet  very  sweet.  The  song  had  many 
verses;  the  first  was  to  the  young  couple, 
who  would  be  "  princess  "  and  "  prince  "  for 
the  next  three  days ;  the  next  was  to  the  Vir- 
gin; then  followed  verses  to  the  sun,  the 
moon,  the  stars,  and  to  a  white  stone  beyond 
the  seas.  It  was  a  long  song,  and  by  the 
281 


MORNING-DEW 

time  it  was  finished  the  candles  were  burned 
down.  Then  the  pan  was  carefully  lifted 
into  the  oven. 

After  that  all  was  hurry  and  bustle.  The 
room  had  to  be  swept,  and  long  pieces  of 
brightly  striped  cloth  brought  from  the 
chest  to  cover  the  bench  that  ran  around  the 
whole  room.  The  cloths  were  of  the  same 
colors  as  the  brightly  painted  shelves  above 
and  they  made  the  house  very  beautiful. 
There  were  wreaths  to  be  made  for  the 
"  princess  "  and  the  "  prince,"  and  the  bride's 
wedding-dress  must  be  laid  out  carefully  in 
the  grandmother's  room,  where  nothing 
could  harm  it. 


282 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

THE   WEDDING 

NEXT  morning  was  the  wedding-day, 
and  the  bustle  began  bright  and  early, 
for  the  table  must  be  spread  with  all  the 
good  things,  and  the  korowai  in  the  centre. 
Then  every  one  put  on  his  best  clothes. 
The  "  prince,"  with  as  long  a  train  of  young 
men  as  the  village  could  afford,  came  to  the 
door  to  claim  his  bride.  The  "  princess  " 
came  out  of  the  grandmother's  room  in  her 
bridal-dress,  a  wreath  of  flowers  on  her  head. 
Some  one  put  a  wreath  on  the  head  of 
the  "  prince,"  the  procession  was  formed, 
and  they  went  to  church.  There  the  pop 
preached  a  long  sermon  all  about  the  duties 
of  husband  and  wife,  and  said  Mass,  and 
283 


YOUNG  NEVERFULL 

finally  married  the  princess  to  her  prince. 
In  reality  it  was  the  little  boy's  eldest  sister 
who  was  married  to  her  betrothed,  but  for 
the  three  days  of  the  wedding  they  were  as 
much  prince  and  princess  as  if  they  had  been 
born  in  an  imperial  palace. 

Then  followed  the  feast.  I  can  never  tell 
you  of  the  eating  and  the  drinking,  the 
songs  that  were  sung  and  the  jokes  that 
went  around  the  table.  Late  in  the  after- 
noon the  little  boy  went  into  the  grand- 
mother's room.  She  had  left  the  table  an 
hour  before. 

"  Grandmother,"  he  said,  "  I  have  eaten 
too  much.  Please  tell  me  a  story." 

"  It  will  be  very  appropriate,"  said  the 
grandmother,  "  if  I  tell  you  about 

"  YOUNG   NEVERFULL." 

A  certain  housewife  had  a  young  servant- 
lad  who  devoured  everything  eatable  that 
came  in  his  way.     He  would  rummage  in 
284 


YOUNG  NEVERFULL 

the  storeroom  until  he  smelled  out  some- 
thing good,  and  would  give  himself  no  rest 
until  he  had  devoured  it  all. 

Now  the  woman  had  a  jar  of  preserved 
fruit,  and,  as  she  feared  that  the  youngster 
would  eat  it  and  leave  her  nothing  to  put 
into  her  pies,  she  said  to  him: 

"  My  good  boy,  you  have  now  eaten 
everything  that  I  have  except  this  jam,  and 
you  have  left  this  just  as  if  you  knew  that 
it  was  poisoned.  See  how  good  God  is  to 
have  preserved  you  from  it.  One  single 
spoonful  is  enough  to  kill  one  instantly;  so 
I  warn  you  not  to  touch  it  unless  you  want 
to  die." 

"  Very  well,"  answered  the  boy. 

On  the  next  Sunday,  as  the  woman  was 
getting  ready  to  go  to  Mass,  she  said  to  the 
boy,  "  Cook  the  soup  and  boil  the  meat  and 
roast  this  duck;  we  will  have  a  good  dinner 
to-day.  See  that  you  have  all  done  and 
ready  when  I  come  home." 
285 


YOUNG  NEVERFULL 

"  Very  well;  it  shall  all  be  done,"  answered 
the  boy. 

When  the  woman  was  gone  he  cooked  the 
soup  and  boiled  the  meat,  and  then  he  put 
the  duck  upon  the  spit  to  roast.  When  he 
saw  what  a  delicious  brown  crisp  was  form- 
ing all  over  the  duck,  he  thought,  "  It  can 
roast  itself  another  one,"  and  ate  the  crisp 
all  off.  He  turned  the  spit  and  turned  it, 
but  the  second  brown  crisp  never  came. 

When  he  saw  this,  he  thought,  "  When 
the  mistress  comes  home  she  will  pepper  me 
well,"  and  he  began  to  consider  how  he 
could  escape  a  beating.  In  his  desperation 
he  remembered  the  jar  of  poison  against 
which  his  mistress  had  warned  him  the  day 
before.  With  a  sudden  resolution  he  went 
into  the  storeroom  and  devoured  the  whole 
jarful  of  preserved  fruit  and  then  crouched 
down  in  a  corner  to  wait  for  death. 

Presently  his  mistress  came  home  and 
cried  out  angrily,  "  What  have  you  done  to 
286 


YOUNG  NEVERFULL 

this  duck? "  She  was  about  to  belabor  him 
well,  when  he  cried,  "  Ah,  leave  me  in  peace, 
dear  mistress!  I  shall  die  in  a  minute  any- 
way, for  I  have  eaten  up  all  the  poison!  " 

At  this  the  woman  broke  out  into  a  laugh 
and  could  not  refuse  to  forgive  him.  The 
duck  and  the  preserves,  however,  were  gone 
all  the  same. 

1  That  was  a  greedy  boy,  grandmother," 
said  the  little  boy.  "  Am  I  greedy  because 
I  ate  too  much  at  sister's  wedding- f east  ?  " 

'  That  was  only  grandmother's  little 
joke.  It  is  not  greedy  to  eat  too  much  at 
a  feast.  Every  one  does,"  said  the  grand- 
mother. 

A  wedding-feast  lasts  three  days,  as 
every  one  in  Russia  knows,  and  during  all 
that  time  there  was  eating  and  drinking 
going  on  in  the  little  boy's  house,  with  much 
singing  and  many  games,  some  of  them 
287 


THE  BASII^-PLANT 

pretty  loud  and  boisterous.  The  second 
evening,  when  the  fun  had  become  pretty 
noisy,  the  little  boy  went  to  his  grandmother 
for  a  story.  She  told  him  about 

THE   BASIL-PLANT 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  woman  to 
whom  it  was  revealed  in  a  dream  that  she 
must  fast  one  day  in  every  week,  for  if  she 
neglected  to  do  so  she  would  give  birth  to 
something  other  than  human.  The  woman 
obeyed  the  behest,  but  one  day  she  forgot 
to  fast,  and  not  long  after  she  gave  birth  to 
a  wonderfully  beautiful  and  fragrant  bush 
which  in  this  world  is  called  basil. 

The  woman  watched  and  tended  the  bush, 
and  the  fame  of  it  spread  through  the  whole 
world,  even  to  a  distant  country,  where  the 
son  of  an  emperor  heard  of  it  and  at  once 
set  out  to  see  it. 

When  he  beheld  the  basil-plant  he  felt  an 
extraordinary  love  for  it,  and  he  begged  the 
288 


When  he  beheld  the  basil-plant  he  felt  an  extraordinary 
love  for  it 


THE  BASIL-PLANT 

mother  either  to  present  it  to  him  or  else  to 
sell  it  at  a  high  price.  But  she  would  not 
hear  a  word  of  it,  but  sent  him  away,  say- 
ing, "  It  is  not  to  be  bought,  even  for  one- 
half  of  your  father's  kingdom." 

Now  the  Prince's  servant,  who  overheard 
this,  whispered  to  his  master  to  say  no  more, 
and  he  would  steal  the  plant  for  him.  So 
said  and  so  done.  The  servant  managed 
somehow  to  steal  the  plant,  and  brought  it 
to  the  Prince.  The  Prince,  delighted  to  find 
his  dearest  wish  gratified,  richly  rewarded 
the  servant  and  locked  the  bush  safely  in  a 
room. 

Some  days  after  the  Prince  invited  a 
great  company  to  a  feast,  intending  to  take 
this  opportunity  to  exhibit  the  basil-plant. 
The  feast  was  ready,  and  the  servants  has- 
tened to  announce  it  to  the  company;  but 
when  they  went  back  there  lay  all  the  meats 
and  pastries  scattered  in  the  dirt  of  the 
kitchen  floor! 

289 


THE  BASII^PLANT 

When  they  saw  this  they  hastened  to  tell 
the  Prince,  and  as  he  saw  no  way  of  getting 
over  the  difficulty,  nothing  was  left  for  him 
but  to  excuse  himself  to  the  guests  for  that 
day  and  invite  them  to  return  upon  the 
morrow. 

The  next  day,  when  all  was  ready  and  the 
servants  went  to  announce  it,  some  one 
came  again  and  threw  all  the  food  about 
the  kitchen  and  broke  all  the  dishes.  The 
servants  wondered  at  this  no  less  than  the 
Emperor's  son  himself,  and  the  Prince  or- 
dered that  a  feast  should  again  be  prepared 
upon  the  third  day  and  that  some  one  should 
keep  watch  through  the  keyhole  to  discover 
the  mischief-maker. 

When  the  meal  was  ready  every  one  left 
the  room  and  peeped  through  the  keyhole 
to  catch  the  culprit.  Behold,  what  did  they 
see?  A  golden-haired  maiden  I 

The  attendants  flew  back  into  the  kitchen, 
held  the  little  culprit  fast,  and  called  to  the 
290 


THE  BASIL-PLANT 

Emperor's  son.  As  soon  as  he  beheld  the 
maiden  he  was  beside  himself  with  surprise 
and  joy,  and  he  asked  her  how  she  had  come 
into  the  kitchen. 

At  first  she  was  terrified,  but  at  last  she 
confessed  to  him  secretly  that  she  was  the 
basil-plant  which  he  watched  and  tended  so 
carefully,  and  which  shed  such  sweet  per- 
fume in  his  room;  that  she  thought  the  feast 
was  in  honor  of  his  wedding,  and  this 
had  made  her  unhappy,  for  she  had  hoped 
that  he  would  marry  her  and  not  another 
maiden. 

When  the  Prince  heard  these  words  and 
saw  that  the  maiden  was  beautiful  beyond 
all  comparison,  he  was  most  happy,  and  as- 
sured the  maiden  that  he  would  marry  her 
as  soon  as  she  had  embraced  the  Christian 
faith.  She  declared  herself  ready  to  do  this 
without  delay. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  the  Prince's 
time  of  service  in  the  army  arrived,  and  he 
291 


THE  BASIL-PLANT 

was  so  much  needed  that  he  could  by  no 
means  be  permitted  to  absent  himself.  He 
therefore  called  his  beloved  to  him  before  his 
departure  and  said  to  her: 

"  I  must  go  to  the  army.  With  a  bleeding 
heart  I  part  from  you;  but,  I  pray  you, 
change  yourself  again  into  a  basil-plant  and 
remain  so  until  my  return.  Show  yourself 
to  no  one,  whoever  it  may  be,  who  enters 
this  room.  And  on  my  return,  if  God  wills, 
I  will  ring  this  little  bell,  and  then  do  you 
again  take  on  your  present  form." 

When  he  had  once  again  kissed  her  she 
changed  herself  into  a  basil-plant,  and  he 
rode  away.  But  two  maidens  who  loved  the 
Prince,  and  who  of  late  had  found  them- 
selves neglected  and  forgotten,  soon  learned 
the  cause  of  their  sorrow — namely,  that  the 
Prince  had  chosen  another  maiden.  There- 
fore they  agreed  to  force  their  way  into  the 
Prince's  room  and  search  for  some  token  of 
her. 

292 


THE  BASIL-PLANT 

When  they  were  there  they  found  noth- 
ing except  his  clothes  and  the  basil-plant, 
and  in  it  they  saw  nothing  remarkable. 
They  rummaged  all  around  the  room,  try- 
ing to  find  some  clew  to  the  whereabouts  of 
the  maiden,  and  one  of  them  in  her  restless- 
ness took  the  little  bell  in  her  hand  and  rang 
it.  The  sorrowing  golden-haired  maiden, 
believing  that  it  was  the  Prince  who  rang 
the  bell,  immediately  changed  herself  back 
into  human  shape  and  suddenly  appeared 
between  the  two. 

At  first  they  were  all  alike  embarrassed, 
but  the  two  trespassers  soon  perceived  that 
they  had  found  what  they  sought,  and  they 
seized  the  poor  little  creature,  killed  her,  and 
carried  her  body  into  the  mountains.  In  the 
evening  the  servant  who  had  charge  of 
bringing  the  maiden  her  supper  found  no 
basil-plant  there,  but  in  its  place  a  horrible 
pool  of  blood.  In  a  moment  he  saw  the 
great  danger  of  his  position,  and  fearing  the 
293 


THE  BASIL-PLANT 

wrath  of  the  Emperor's  son  when  he  should 
return  home,  he  fled  away  with  all  speed. 

But  to  return  to  the  maiden.  An  old 
woman  who  was  going  along  among  the 
mountains  found  the  headless  body  and  the 
head  lying  near,  and,  feeling  compassion 
for  the  young  creature,  she  gathered  certain 
herbs  with  which  she  called  the  maiden  back 
to  life.  When  the  poor  child  again  awoke 
to  life  and  found  herself  in  the  depths  of 
the  mountains,  she  fell  upon  the  old  woman's 
neck  and  promised  that  she  would  never 
abandon  her. 

But  the  old  woman  answered,  "  My  dear 
little  daughter,  go,  in  God's  name,  wherever 
you  like!  I,  a  poor  old  worn-out  woman, 
can  hardly  support  myself,  to  say  nothing 
of  you.  But  you  are  young  and  strong, 
and,  with  God's  help,  will  get  on  nicely." 

But  the  maiden  answered  her,  "  Neither 
now  nor  ever,  so  long  as  God  lives  in  heaven ! 
You  have  called  me  back  to  life,  and  it  is 
294 


THE  BASII^PLANT 

my  debt  and  duty  to  love  you  till  death. 
We  shall  surely  make  our  way  in  the  world. 
I  will  sell  my  golden  hair,  and  will  buy  food 
for  you ;  and  when  my  hair  is  all  sold  I  will 
gather  herbs  in  the  mountains  and  feed 
you." 

At  last  the  old  woman  consented,  and  a 
few  days  later  the  maiden  cut  off  a  lock  of 
her  golden  hair  and  sent  the  old  woman  with 
it  to  market,  bidding  her  not  to  sell  it  for 
less  than  a  hundred  ducats.  The  old  woman 
went  straight  to  the  very  city  where  the 
Prince  lived,  for  he  had  returned  from  camp 
and  had  ordered  the  whole  city  to  go  into 
mourning  because  of  his  lost  love. 

Fortunately  the  old  woman  met  the 
Prince  and  asked  him  if  he  would  like  to 
buy  a  lock  of  golden  hair.  The  moment  the 
Prince  saw  the  lock  he  was  beside  himself 
with  surprise,  for  he  perceived  at  once  that 
it  was  his  beloved's  hair.  So  he  seized  hold 
of  the  old  woman  and  asked  her  how  she 
295 


THE  BASIL-PLANT 

came  by  it  The  old  woman,  terrified,  con- 
fessed the  whole. 

Upon  this  he  quickly  mounted  his  horse, 
placed  the  old  woman  upon  another,  and 
they  rode  to  the  village  where  the  old  wom- 
an lived.  When  they  arrived  they  found 
the  maiden  bathed  in  tears,  bewailing  her 
lost  lover.  He  rushed  to  her,  they  kissed 
and  embraced,  and  then  went  home,  taking 
the  old  woman  with  them. 

When  the  Emperor's  son  had  heard  the 
details  of  the  whole  story  he  commanded  the 
two  maidens  to  be  put  to  death.  Then  he 
married  his  own  love.  The  old  woman  he 
honored  as  his  own  mother,  and  when  she 
died  he  gave  her  an  imperial  funeral. 

'  That  is  a  beautiful  story,  grandmother," 
said  the  little  boy,  "  although  there  is  not  a 
Dragon  nor  a  Fox  nor  a  Mouse  in  it.  There 
is  a  plant,  though.  I  wish  one  of  the  plants 
in  our  field  would  turn  into  a  golden-haired 
296 


THE  BASIL-PLANT 

maiden — a  very  little  one,  big  enough  to 
play  with  me." 

"  Wait  till  the  little  baby  in  your  broth- 
er's house  grows  bigger,"  said  the  grand- 
mother. "  It  will  not  be  long." 


297 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

AFTER  THE   WEDDING 

rilHE  third  evening  of  the  wedding-feast 
•*•  had  come,  and  with  music  and  singing 
the  whole  village  escorted  the  young  couple 
to  their  house.  They  were  to  have  a  house 
of  their  own,  and  not  live  with  the  bride- 
groom's father,  for  so  had  the  starosta  in- 
sisted. Now  they  were  there  at  last,  and 
though  some  of  the  young  men  remained  in 
the  streets  singing  noisily,  the  bride's  family 
went  quietly  home. 

"  It  seems  lonely  without  our  princess," 
said  the  starosta  as  they  gathered  around 
the  stove.  "  Grandmother,  I  know  the  little 
boy  is  hoping  for  a  story.  Let  us  all  hear 
it.  Tell  one  of  your  very  best  ones,  that  we 
298 


STEELPACHA 

may  forget  for  a  time  that  our  family  circle 
is  smaller." 

The  grandmother,  with  great  willingness, 
told  the  story  of 

STEELPACHA 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  an  Emperor 
who  had  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 
As  he  was  very  old,  his  last  hour  drew  nigh. 
He  therefore  called  his  children  to  his  bed- 
side and  laid  earnest  command  upon  his  sons 
to  give  their  sisters,  without  hesitation,  to 
the  first  suitors  who  asked  for  them  in  mar- 
riage. "  Marry  them  oft',"  he  said  to  the 
sons,  "or  my  curse  will  be  upon  you!" 
These  were  his  last  words. 

After  his  death,  day  passed  quietly  after 
day  for  a  while.  Then  one  evening  there 
came  a  loud  knocking  at  the  door.  The 
whole  palace  began  to  rock  amid  a  wild  roar- 
ing, howling,  crashing,  flashing;  the  castle 
was  bathed  in  a  sea  of  flame.  Every  heart 
299 


STEELPACHA 

was  terrified,  and  trembling  took  possession 
of  every  soul. 

Suddenly  a  voice  cried,  "  Open  the  door, 
ye  princes! " 

Up  spoke  the  Emperor's  eldest  son,  "  Do 
not  open! "  And  the  second  said,  "  On  no 
account  open!"  But  the  youngest  said, 
"  Then  I  will  open  the  door  myself! " 

He  sprang  up  and  drew  the  bolts. 
Hardly  was  the  door  opened  when  a  fearful 
Being  rushed  in,  the  outline  of  whose  form 
was  hidden  in  encircling  flames. 

"  I  am  come,"  he  exclaimed,  "  to  take 
your  eldest  sister  for  my  wife,  and  that  at 
once.  So  give  a  short  answer — yes  or  no; 
I  insist  upon  it!  " 

Said  the  eldest  brother,  "  I  will  not  give 
her  to  you.  Why  should  I,  when  I  know 
neither  who  nor  whence  you  are?  You  come 
here  by  night,  demand  my  sister's  hand  upon 
the  instant,  and  I  do  not  even  hear  which 
way  I  am  to  turn  when  I  wish  to  visit  her." 
300 


STEELPACHA 

Said  the  second  brother,  "  Nor  do  I  per- 
mit you  to  take  away  my  sister  thus  in  the 
dead  of  night." 

But  the  youngest  interposed,  "  Then  I 
will  give  her  away  if  you  two  refuse.  Have 
you  already  forgotten  our  father's  com- 
mand? "  And  taking  his  sister  by  the  hand 
he  gave  her  to  the  stranger,  saying,  "  May 
she  live  happily  with  you  and  be  ever 
faithful!" 

As  the  sister  crossed  the  threshold  every 
one  in  the  building  fell  to  the  ground  in 
fear  and  horror.  It  lightened,  it  thundered, 
it  crashed,  it  quaked,  the  whole  fortress 
swayed  heavily,  as  if  heaven  and  earth  were 
falling  together.  Gradually  the  uproar 
died  away,  and  the  rosy  eastern  light  an- 
nounced the  coming  morning. 

As  soon  as  day  had  broken  the  brothers 

searched  for  the  traces  which  they  supposed 

would  have  been  left  by  their  tremendous 

nocturnal  visitor;  but  not  a  trace,  not  a  foot- 

301 


STEELPACHA 

print  had  he  left  behind.     All  was  swept 
away. 

On  the  following  night,  at  the  self -same 
hour,  the  self -same  flashing,  crashing  din 
was  heard  around  the  imperial  fortress,  and 
a  voice  without  cried  loudly,  "  Open  the 
door,  you  princes! " 

Paralyzed  with  terror,  they  threw  open 
the  door  and  a  fearful  Form  rushed  in,  cry- 
ing in  a  loud  voice,  "  Give  me  here  the  maid- 
en, your  second  sister!  We  have  come  to 
marry  her! " 

Said  the  eldest  brother,  "  I  will  not  give 
you  my  sister! " 

Said  the  second,  "  I  will  not  let  my  sis- 
ter  " 

But  the  youngest  broke  in  with,  "  Then 
I  will!  Will  you  never  remember  what  our 
father  commanded?  " 

He  took  his  sister  by  the  hand  and  led  her 
to  the  wooer.    "  Take  her;  she  will  be  happy 
with  you  and  always  good." 
302 


STEELPACHA 

At  this  the  powerful  apparition  vanished, 
and  the  maiden  with  him. 

As  soon  as  morning  dawned  the  brothers 
sought  around  the  castle  for  traces  of  the 
direction  which  the  apparition  had  taken; 
but  they  found  nothing  under  the  blessed 
sun,  nor  was  there  the  slightest  clew  from 
which  they  could  make  any  sort  of  guess  any 
more  than  if  no  one  had  been  there! 

On  the  third  night,  at  the  same  hour,  the 
whole  castle  was  again  shaken  to  the  foun- 
dation by  a  horrible  uproar  and  earthquake, 
and  a  voice  called  out,  "  Open  the  door,  ye 
princes ! " 

The  Emperor's  sons  sprang  nimbly  to 
their  feet  and  drew  the  bolts,  upon  which  a 
monstrous  Form  entered,  exclaiming,  "  We 
are  come  to  demand  the  hand  of  your  young- 
est sister! " 

"  Never! "  shrieked  the  eldest  and  second 
brothers  with  one  voice.  "  We  will  not  let 
this  one  go  away  thus  by  night.  Surely  we 
303 


STEELPACHA 

must  at  least  know  of  this  our  youngest  sis- 
ter whom  she  marries  and  where  she  goes, 
that  we  may  be  able  to  visit  her!  " 

But  up  spoke  the  youngest  brother, 
"  Then  I  will  give  her  away  if  you  refuse. 
Have  you  quite  forgotten  what  our  father 
charged  us  on  his  dying  bed?  It  is  not  so 
long  ago." 

He  took  the  sister  by  the  hand  and  said, 
"  Here  she  is;  take  her  home  and  live  hap- 
pily and  joyfully  with  her! " 

In  a  twinkling  the  terrible  Being  disap- 
peared in  the  midst  of  a  fearful  uproar. 

When  the  morning  dawned  the  brothers 
felt  oppressed  by  anxiety,  being  all  uncer- 
tain as  to  the  fate  of  their  sisters.  After  a 
long  interval,  during  which  no  light  had 
been  thrown  upon  this  matter,  the  three 
brothers  took  counsel  together: 

"  Good  heavens,  did  ever  one  know  of 
anything  so  mysterious!  What  has  become 
of  our  sisters?  For  we  have  not  the  least 
304 


STEELPACHA 

idea  of  their  abiding-place,  nor  any  clew 
which  can  lead  to  their  discovery." 

At  length  one  said  to  the  others,  "  Let  us 
go  forth  to  seek  our  sisters." 

So  the  three  brothers  made  ready  without 
losing  a  moment.  They  took  money  enough 
for  a  long  journey  and  went  out  into  the 
wide  world  to  seek  their  sisters. 

In  the  course  of  their  wanderings  they 
lost  their  way  among  the  mountains,  where 
they  wandered  for  a  whole  day.  When 
night  fell  they  decided,  on  account  of  their 
horses,  to  encamp  for  the  night  near  a  piece 
of  water. 

And  so  they  did.  They  reached  the  shore 
of  a  lake,  pitched  their  tents,  and  sat  down 
to  supper.  When  they  lay  down  to  sleep 
the  eldest  brother  said,  "  You  may  sleep,  but 
I  will  stand  guard." 

So  the  two  younger  brothers  went  peace- 
fully to  sleep,  while  the  eldest  brother  kept 
watch.  At  a  certain  hour  of  the  night  the 
305 


STEELPACHA 

lake  became  agitated  with  a  swaying  mo- 
tion which  startled  the  watcher  not  a  little. 
He  soon  observed  a  shapeless  form  arising 
out  of  the  midst  of  the  water  and  rushing 
straight  toward  him.  It  was  a  frightful 
monster  of  a  Dragon,  with  two  great  flap- 
ping ears,  which  was  rushing  so  fiercely 
upon  him.  The  Prince  bravely  drew  his 
sword  and,  seizing  the  Dragon,  cut  off  his 
head.  Then  he  sliced  off  the  ears  and  put 
them  into  his  wallet,  and  threw  the  head  and 
the  body  back  into  the  lake. 

Meantime  the  day  had  dawned,  and  the 
brothers  still  lay  in  profound  slumber,  little 
dreaming  of  their  eldest  brother's  heroic  ex- 
ploit. He  now  awaked  them,  but  said  not 
a  syllable  about  his  nocturnal  adventure. 
They  left  that  place  and  continued  their 
journey,  and  when  twilight  began  to  fall 
they  once  more  agreed  to  seek  a  halting- 
place  near  some  piece  of  water.  But  they 
were  much  terrified  to  find  themselves  quite 
306 


STEELPACHA 

lost  in  a  lonely  wilderness.  At  last,  how- 
ever, they  came  upon  a  tiny  lake,  where  they 
decided  to  spend  the  night.  They  kindled 
a  fire,  unpacked  cooking  utensils  and  food, 
and  took  their  evening  meal.  After  that 
they  disposed  themselves  to  sleep.  Then 
said  the  second  brother,  "  Do  you  two  go  to 
rest;  I  will  mount  guard  to-night." 

The  two  brothers  therefore  lay  down  to 
sleep,  but  the  third  cheerfully  sat  up  and 
kept  watch.  Suddenly  a  rustling  sound 
from  the  lake  met  his  ears,  and  he  saw  a 
sight  which  curdled  the  blood  in  his  veins. 
A  two-headed  Dragon  rushed  tumultuously 
upon  the  brothers  as  if  to  annihilate  them 
all  three. 

Quick  as  thought  the  watcher  sprang  up, 
drew  his  glittering  sword,  avoided  the  Drag- 
on's attack,  and  cut  off  his  two  heads.  Then 
he  sliced  off  the  ears  and  put  them  into  his 
wallet,  throwing  the  other  parts  of  the  mon- 
ster back  into  the  lake.  His  brothers  knew 
307 


STEELPACHA 

nothing  of  the  affair,  for  both  slept  soundly 
until  dawn. 

When  day  broke  the  second  brother  called 
to  them,  "  Wake  up,  brothers,  the  morning 
dawns ! " 

Immediately  they  sprang  up,  packed 
their  goods,  and  set  forth  upon  their  way; 
but  they  had  not  the  least  idea  where  they 
were  nor  in  what  country. 

A  great  fear  overwhelmed  them  that  they 
might  perish  of  hunger  in  this  wilderness, 
and  they  besought  God  to  guide  them,  at 
least,  to  some  inhabited  village  or  city,  or  to 
permit  them  to  meet  some  human  being,  for 
they  had  already  wandered  three  days  in 
this  inhospitable  wilderness  without  coming 
to  the  end  or  finding  any  way  out. 

It  was  rather  early  in  the  day  when  they 
came  to  a  pretty  large  lake  and  decided  to 
go  no  farther,  but  to  make  their  camp  on 
this  lake-side.  For  they  said,  "  If  we  go 
farther  we  shall  very  probably  not  find 
308 


STEELPACHA 

any  more  water  near  which  to  make  our 
camp." 

They  remained,  therefore,  in  this  place, 
built  a  great  fire,  supped,  and  made  ready 
to  sleep.  Then  said  the  youngest  brother: 

"  Do  you  two  go  to  rest.  I  will  take  the 
watch  to-night." 

So  the  two  lay  down  and  soon  fell  asleep, 
but  the  youngest  brother  kept  a  sharp  look- 
out, and  often  threw  a  glance  over  the  shin- 
ing surface  of  the  lake. 

Thus  passed  away  a  portion  of  the  night, 
when  suddenly  the  lake  boiled  up,  surged, 
foaming,  upon  the  fire  and  half -extin- 
guished it.  But  the  watcher  whipped  out 
his  sword  and  took  his  position  close  to 
the  fire.  Suddenly  a  three-headed  Dragon 
rushed  forth  and  made  as  if  to  kill  the 
brothers. 

Now  was  the  hero-spirit  of  the  youth 
tested.  He  waked  not  his  brothers,  but 
went  forth  alone  to  meet  the  Dragon.  Three 
309 


STEELPACHA 

times  he  raised  his  sword,  and  each  time  he 
smote  off  one  of  the  monster's  heads.  Then 
he  sliced  off  the  ears,  and  threw  the  shape- 
less remains  into  the  water. 

While  this  tremendous  conflict  was  going 
on  the  fire  died  out,  having  been  flooded  by 
the  water.  The  Prince  would  not  awake  his 
brothers,  although  he  had  no  tinder-box  of 
his  own  to  rekindle  it  with,  but  resolved  to 
search  around  a  little  in  the  wilderness  in 
hope  of  stumbling  upon  some  one  who  could 
help  him. 

But  nowhere  was  there  a  mortal  soul!  At 
last  he  climbed  into  a  high  tree  and  looked 
around  in  all  directions  to  see  what  he  might 
see. 

As  he  was  thus  gazing  far  and  wide  his 
eyes  were  suddenly  attracted  by  a  flash  of 
light  which  seemed  to  be  very  near  him.  He 
descended  the  tree  and  went  in  the  direction 
of  the  light,  hoping  to  get  some  fire  where- 
with to  rekindle  the  fire  for  his  brothers. 
810 


STEELPACHA 

He  went  on  for  a  long  stretch,  the  light 
seeming  always  to  be  just  before  him,  when 
suddenly  he  found  himself  standing  before 
a  cave  in  a  rock  in  which  nine  Giants,  gath- 
ered around  an  immense  fire,  were  roasting 
two  men  upon  a  spit,  one  on  one  side  of  the 
fire,  the  other  on  the  other.  An  enormous 
copper  caldron,  full  to  the  brim  with  hu- 
man flesh,  was  bubbling  over  the  fire. 

The  imperial  Prince  was  horrified  at  this 
sight.  He  would  have  turned  back,  but 
whither  should  he  go?  Where  was  there  a 
way  of  escape  for  him?  He  quickly  recov- 
ered his  self-possession,  however,  and  cried 
out,  "Good-morning,  valiant  comrades  I  I 
have  long  been  seeking  you!  " 

They  received  him  most  cordially,  answer- 
ing, "  God  be  with  thee,  if  thou  art  a  true 
comrade." 

He  replied,  "  Indeed  I  am,  and  shall  be 
all  my  life  long.  I  would  risk  my  head  for 
you." 

311 


STEELPACHA 

"All  right,"  they  answered.  "If  you 
wish  to  be  one  of  us,  are  you  ready  to  eat 
human  flesh  and  take  a  share  in  our  ad- 
ventures? " 

"Yes,  that  I  will,"  said  the  Prince. 
"  What  you  do,  that  will  I  do  also." 

"  Faith,  then  all  is  well!  "  they  said.  "  Sit 
down  among  us." 

They  settled  themselves  around  the  fire. 
The  caldron  was  taken  off,  its  contents 
served,  and  the  meal  began.  The  Prince  re- 
ceived his  share,  but  he  knew  how  to  man- 
age, and,  instead  of  eating,  he  slyly  threw 
the  meat,  bit  by  bit,  behind  him.  He  did  the 
same  with  the  roast.  Then  the  Giants  said: 

"  Come,  now,  we  must  go  a-hunting,  for 
we  must  eat  to-morrow  as  well  as  to-day." 

So  the  nine  Giants  set  out,  with  the  Prince 
for  a  tenth. 

"  Come,"  they  said  to  him,  "  not  far  from 
here  is  a  town  in  which  reigns  an  Emperor. 
His  city  has  fed  us  for  several  years." 
312 


STEELPACHA 

As  they  drew  near  to  the  city  they  pulled 
up  two  fir-trees  by  the  roots  and  carried 
them  along.  When  they  reached  the  town 
they  set  one  of  the  trees  against  the  wall 
and  called  to  the  Prince,  "  Come  on,  climb 
up  the  wall  here,  and  we  will  hand  you  the 
second  tree.  Seize  it  by  the  point  and  let  it 
down  on  the  other  side,  but  keep  hold  of  the 
top  so  that  we  may  climb  down  by  the 
trunk." 

The  Prince  accordingly  scrambled  up,  but 
on  receiving  the  second  tree  he  called  out, 
"  I  don't  know  where  to  stand  it;  I  am  not 
familiar  with  the  place  and  dare  not  shove 
it  over.  Do  one  of  you  come  up  and  show 
me,  and  then  I  will  make  it  all  right." 

One  of  the  Giants  climbed  up  to  him, 
seized  the  fir-tree  by  the  point,  and  let  it 
down  on  the  other  side  of  the  wall.  As  he 
stood  thus  bent  over,  the  Prince  drew  his 
sword  and  struck  off  his  head,  and  the  dead 
Giant  tumbled  off  the  wall  into  the  city. 
313 


STEELPACHA 

Then  the  Prince  cried  to  the  others,  "  All 
right!  Come  on  now,  one  at  a  time,  that  I 
may  help  you  along  in  the  same  way." 

One  after  another  unsuspiciously  climbed 
up,  only  to  meet  death  at  the  hands  of  the 
Prince.  When  he  had  made  an  end  of  all 
the  nine  he  let  himself  down  by  the  fir-tree 
into  the  city,  which  he  explored  in  every  di- 
rection. No  sound  of  human  voice  reached 
his  ear.  All  was  a  drear,  horrible  desola- 
tion. "  Has  the  whole  population  been 
robbed  and  murdered  by  the  Giants? "  he 
thought  to  himself. 

For  a  long  time  he  wandered  about  the 
desolate  city,  until  he  came  to  a  very  high 
tower,  from  one  window  of  which  shone  out 
the  light  of  a  taper.  He  threw  open  the 
door,  rushed  up  the  tower  stair,  and  hastened 
straight  to  that  room. 

On  the  threshold  he  stood  still  in  amaze- 
ment. The  room  was  richly  hung  and  deco- 
rated with  gold,  silk,  and  velvet,  and  not  a 
314 


STEELPACHA 

soul  within  except  a  maiden  who  lay  upon 
a  couch,  outstretched  in  deep  slumber.  The 
Prince  was  rooted  to  the  spot  at  the  sight  of 
the  maiden,  for  she  was  wonderfully  beau- 
tiful. But  at  that  moment  he  became  aware 
of  a  great  serpent  which,  gliding  along  the 
wall,  stretched  out  its  head  directly  over  the 
head  of  the  maiden,  coiling  itself  up  in 
readiness  to  spring  and  strike  her  upon  the 
brow,  between  the  eyes. 

Then  the  Prince  sprang  quickly  with  his 
pocket-knife,  which  in  a  trice  he  had  drawn 
from  his  pocket,  and  pinned  the  serpent's 
head  to  the  wall.  Then  saying  these  words, 
"  God  grant  that  no  hand  but  mine  may 
draw  this  knife  out  from  the  wall,"  he  went 
quickly  away.  He  climbed  up  by  one  fir- 
tree  and  down  by  the  other,  and  so  got  over 
the  wall.  Arrived  at  the  Giants'  cave,  he 
took  some  fire  and  ran  back  to  his  brothers, 
who  were  still  buried  in  profound  slumber. 
As  he  kindled  the  fire  day  began  to  dawn  in 
315 


STEELPACHA 

the  east.     He  awakened  his  brothers,  and 
they  set  forth  upon  their  journey. 

That  same  day  they  came  to  the  highway 
leading  to  the  before-mentioned  city.  A 
mighty  Emperor  reigned  there  who  used  to 
go  about  the  city  every  morning  shedding 
bitter  tears  because  his  people  were  exter- 
minated and  eaten  by  the  giants,  and  be- 
cause of  his  constant  fear  that  his  only 
daughter  would  fall  a  sacrifice  to  their  glut- 
tony. On  this  morning  he  was  going  about 
the  city  as  usual.  It  lay  empty  and  de- 
serted; the  inhabitants  had  dwindled  away 
to  a  mere  remnant ;  most  of  them  had  found 
a  grave  in  the  giants'  maws. 

As  I  have  said,  the  Emperor  was  thus  re- 
viewing his  city  when  suddenly  his  eyes  fell 
upon  the  uprooted  fir-tree  which  still  leaned 
against  the  wall,  and  as  he  drew  nearer  he 
beheld  a  wonderful  sight:  there  lay  the  nine 
Giants,  the  very  pests  of  the  city,  with  their 
heads  all  cut  off! 

316 


STEELPACHA 

This  sight  gave  the  King  unspeakable 
joy.  The  people  also  gathered  together  to 
pray  God  that  blessing  and  happiness  might 
descend  upon  the  giant-slayer.  At  that  very 
moment  a  servant  came  from  the  imperial 
citadel  to  say  that  a  serpent  had  nearly  been 
the  death  of  the  Emperor's  daughter.  Upon 
this  the  Emperor  betook  himself  straightway 
to  the  citadel,  and  to  the  very  chamber  of 
his  daughter.  Arrived  there,  he  saw  upon 
the  wall  the  impaled  serpent,  and  tried  with 
his  own  hand  to  draw  out  the  knife,  but  in 
vain. 

Then  the  Emperor  sent  a  proclamation 
through  his  whole  empire:  "Whoever  has 
slain  the  giants  and  impaled  the  serpent,  let 
him  make  himself  known,  that  the  Emperor 
may  richly  reward  him  and  bestow  upon  him 
the  hand  of  his  daughter." 

This  proclamation  was  issued  in  every 
province  of  the  empire.  The  Emperor  also 
gave  command  that  great  inns  should  be 
317 


STEELPACHA 

erected  upon  the  principal  highways,  where 
all  travellers  should  be  stopped  and  asked 
whether  they  knew  who  had  overcome  the 
giants;  and  whoever  should  discover  the 
man,  let  him  hasten  with  utmost  speed  to 
the  Emperor  to  receive  a  rich  reward. 

According  to  the  imperial  proclamation, 
great  inns  were  erected  upon  the  principal 
highways,  and  every  traveller  stopped,  ex- 
amined, and  the  whole  affair  explained  to 
him. 

After  a  while  the  three  Princes  who  were 
seeking  their  sisters  came  to  pass  the  night 
at  one  of  these  inns.  After  supper  the  land- 
lord joined  the  company  and  began  to  boast 
of  his  wonderful  exploits.  At  last  he  turned 
to  the  three  brothers  with  the  question, 
"  And  what  doughty  deeds  have  you  done 
up  to  this  time?  " 

Then  the  eldest  brother  began,  "  As  I  and 
my  brothers  were  upon  our  travels  it  came 
to  pass  one  night  that  we  made  our  halt  on 
318 


STEELPACHA 

the  border  of  a  lake  in  a  great  wilderness. 
While  my  brothers  were  asleep  and  I  keep- 
ing watch,  a  Dragon  came  up  out  of  the  lake 
to  destroy  me.  I  drew  my  sword  out  of  the 
scabbard  and  struck  off  his  head.  If  you 
don't  believe  me,  here  are  his  ears."  And 
he  drew  the  ears  out  of  his  wallet  and  threw 
them  upon  the  table. 

When  the  second  brother  heard  this,  he 
began,  "  I  had  the  watch  on  the  second 
night,  and  I  killed  a  two-headed  Dragon. 
If  you  don't  believe  me,  here  are  the  ears 
which  I  cut  from  his  two  heads  for  a  wit- 
ness." He  said  it  and  showed  the  two  pairs 
of  ears. 

The  youngest  brother  heard  the  whole  in 
silence.  The  landlord  now  turned  to  him. 

:<  By  Heaven,  youngster,  your  brothers 
are  valiant  heroes  1  Come,  let  us  hear  if  you 
can  also  boast  of  any  doughty  deeds!  " 

Hesitatingly  the  youngest  began  his 
story:  "Well,  I  also  did  a  trifle.  It  was 
819 


STEELPACHA 

on  the  very  third  night,  beside  the  lake  in 
the  wilderness.  You,  my  brothers,  were 
asleep.  I  kept  watch.  At  a  certain  hour 
of  the  night  the  lake  surged  up  and  a  three- 
headed  Dragon  arose  from  it,  who  would 
have  annihilated  us.  Then  I  drew  a  sword 
and  cut  off  all  three  of  his  heads.  If  you 
don't  believe  it,  here  are  the  three  pairs  of 
ears!" 

Upon  this  the  two  brothers  were  dumb 
with  astonishment.  But  the  youngest  went 
on  with  his  story:  "In  the  meantime  the 
fire  had  gone  out,  and  I  went  forth  to  seek 
a  light.  While  straying  around  among  the 
hills  I  stumbled  upon  nine  giants  in  a  cave ;  " 
and  so  he  went  on  and  told  all  his  adventures 
in  order,  and  every  one  was  struck  with 
amazement  at  the  wonderful  tale. 

No  sooner  had  the  landlord  heard  the 
story  than  he  ran  secretly  to  the  Emperor 
and  told  him  the  whole  affair.  The  Em- 
peror gave  him  a  great  sum  of  money,  and 
320 


STEELPACHA 

sent  his  people  at  once  to  bring  the  three 
princes  before  him. 

When  they  came  into  the  emperor's  pres- 
ence he  put  the  following  question  to  the 
youngest:  "Is  it  you  who  performed  the 
wonders  in  our  city,  killing  the  giants  and 
saving  my  only  daughter  from  destruction?  " 

"  Yes,  it  was  I,  mighty  Emperor,"  replied 
the  Prince.  Hereupon  the  Emperor  mar- 
ried his  daughter  to  the  young  Prince  and 
raised  him  to  the  highest  office  in  the  king- 
dom. 

Then  the  Emperor  said  to  the  two  elder 
brothers,  "  If  it  please  you  to  remain  in  my 
empire,  I  will  give  you  each  a  wife  and  will 
permit  you  to  build  strongholds  for  your- 
selves." 

But  they  told  him  they  were  already  mar- 
ried, and  explained  that  they  had  undertaken 
this  journey  merely  to  seek  out  their  sisters. 
When  the  Emperor  heard  this  he  detained 
only  the  youngest  brother,  his  son-in-law, 
321 


STEELPACHA 

and  to  the  two  other  brothers  he  gave  two 
mules  laden  with  gold.  So  the  two  brothers 
returned  home  to  their  own  kingdom. 

Still  the  youngest  brother  thought  con- 
tinually of  his  sisters,  and  kept  always  in 
mind  the  hope  of  yet  seeking  them  out. 
But  on  the  other  hand  he  was  pained  at 
the  thought  of  parting  from  his  young  wife, 
and  besides  he  knew  that  the  Emperor  would 
never  consent  to  his  leaving  him.  So  he  was 
continually  racked  with  anxiety  about  his 
sisters. 

One  day  the  Emperor  went  hunting,  and 
before  setting  out  he  said  to  his  son-in-law, 
"  Do  you  remain  in  the  castle  during  my 
absence.  I  give  to  you  nine  keys  which  you 
must  keep  carefully  by  you.  I  give  you  free 
leave  to  open  three  or  four  rooms.  You  will 
find  in  them  silver  and  gold  in  abundance; 
there  is  also  no  lack  of  weapons,  or  of  any 
kind  of  treasure.  You  may  even,  if  you  feel 
inclined,  open  eight  of  the  rooms.  But  be- 
322 


STEELPACHA 

ware  of  unlocking  the  ninth.  Leave  that  one 
alone;  for,"  he  added,  "  if  you  do  not  it  will 
be  the  worse  for  you."  Upon  this  the  Em- 
peror departed,  leaving  his  son-in-law  at 
home  alone. 

Hardly  was  the  Emperor  gone  when  the 
Prince  began  to  open  one  door  after  another, 
until  he  had  examined  eight  rooms  in  suc- 
cession. His  eyes  beheld  in  them  treasures 
of  all  kinds.  When  at  last  he  came  to  the 
door  of  the  ninth  room  he  said  to  himself, 
'  I  have  seen  and  done  so  many  wonderful 
things,  and  shall  it  be  forbidden  me  to  enter 
a  certain  room?  " 

So  he  unlocked  the  door  and  went  in. 
What  a  sight!  There  was  a  man  whose 
legs  up  to  his  knees  and  whose  arms  up  to 
the  elbows  were  incased  in  iron;  from  his 
neck  hung  heavy  iron  chains,  the  ends  of 
which  were  fastened  to  stakes  driven  into 
the  floor  on  all  sides,  holding  him  so  securely 
that  he  could  not  stir.  Before  him  a  stream 
323 


STEELPACHA 

of  water  gushed  from  a  golden  vessel  and 
flowed  into  a  golden  basin  which  stood  near  ; 
beside  it  was  a  golden  jug,  beautifully 
adorned  with  jewels.  The  man  longed  to 
drink  the  water,  but  he  could  not  reach  the 


When  the  imperial  Prince  saw  this  he 
started  backward;  but  the  fettered  man 
cried,  "  Oh,  come  to  me,  I  beseech  you,  in 
the  name  of  the  living  God!  " 

The  Prince  drew  nearer,  and  the  man  con- 
tinued, "  Oh,  do  a  pious  act;  let  me  drain  a 
jug  of  water!  Be  assured  I  will  reward  you 
for  it  with  an  additional  life." 

The  Prince  considered  the  proposition. 
"  Can  there  be  anything  better  for  me  than 
to  secure  for  myself  an  additional  life?  " 
He  took  the  jug,  filled  it,  and  raised  it  to 
the  man's  lips,  who  emptied  it  at  a  sin- 
gle draught.  Upon  this  the  Prince  asked 
him,  "  In  the  name  of  Heaven,  who  are 


you?" 


324 


STEELPACHA 

The  man  answered,  "  My  name  is  Steel- 
pacha." 

The  Prince  now  turned  toward  the  door, 
but  the  man  implored  him,  "  Give  me  an- 
other jug  of  water,  and  I  will  give  you  a 
second  life." 

The  Prince  thought,  "  He  will  give  me  a 
second  life;  I  have  one  into  the  bargain. 
This  will  be  a  prodigy  indeed!  "  and  he  filled 
the  jug  again  and  put  it  to  the  man's  lips. 

He  then  turned  away,  and  already  held 
the  door-latch  in  his  hand  when  Steelpacha 
called  to  him,  "  O  sir,  come  back  to  me! 
You  have  twice  acted  nobly  by  me;  prove 
yourself  a  man  a  third  time  and  I  will  give 
you  a  third  life.  Take  this  jug,  fill  it  to  the 
brim,  and  pour  it  over  my  head;  and  for 
this  labor  of  love  I  will  give  you  a  third 
life." 

When  the  Prince  heard  this  he  turned 
back,  took  the  jug,  filled  it  with  water,  and 
poured  it  over  the  man's  head.  The  moment 
325 


STEELPACHA 

the  water  touched  him  the  chains  about  his 
neck  fell  asunder  and  all  the  bonds  which 
held  him  were  unloosed.  Quick  as  light- 
ning Steelpacha  sprang  up,  spread  a  pair 
of  wings,  flew  out  of  the  window,  snatched 
up  the  Princess,  the  wife  of  his  deliverer, 
took  flight  with  her  under  his  wing,  and 
in  a  moment  had  disappeared  from  view. 
That  was  a  prodigy  indeed! 

The  Prince  now  looked  forward  with 
deepest  dread  to  the  Emperor's  return. 
However,  when  the  Emperor  came  home, 
the  Prince  told  the  whole  story  exactly  as 
it  had  happened.  The  Emperor  was  beside 
himself  with  grief.  "Why  did  you  do 
thus?  "  said  he  reproachfully.  "  Did  I  not 
expressly  forbid  you  to  enter  the  ninth 
room? " 

The  Prince  answered  soothingly,  "  Don't 
be  angry  with  me.  I  will  go  at  once  to  seek 
Steelpacha  and  rescue  my  wife  from  him." 

The  Emperor  tried  to  dissuade  him  from 
326 


STEELPACHA 

this  plan.  "  Don't  do  that,"  said  he;  "  you 
shall  on  no  account  move  a  step  from  this 
place.  You  have  no  idea  who  Steelpacha  is. 
Many  an  army  and  much  treasure  did  I 
waste  before  I  got  him  in  my  power.  So 
remain  quietly  with  me.  I  will  provide  an- 
other wife  for  you.  And  don't  be  unhappy; 
I  love  you  as  my  own  son." 

But  the  Prince  was  deaf  to  all  these  per- 
suasions, and  adhered  to  his  first  resolution. 
He  provided  himself  with  the  necessary 
money,  mounted  his  horse,  and  went  forth 
into  the  world  to  seek  Steelpacha.  For  a 
long  time  he  wandered  about,  and  at  last  he 
arrived  at  a  city.  He  was  gazing  around 
with  some  curiosity,  when  suddenly  a  woman 
called  to  him  from  a  balcony,  "  You  Prince, 
get  down  from  your  horse  and  come  into  the 
court!" 

As  the  Prince  entered  the  court  the  woman 
came  to  meet  him.  He  looked  narrowly  at 
her  and  recognized  his  eldest  sister.  They 
327 


STEELPACHA 

flew   into   each   other's   arms   and  lavished 
sweet  kisses  upon  each  other. 

The  sister  was  the  first  to  speak.  "  Come 
out  upon  the  balcony  with  me,  brother." 

When  they  were  upon  the  balcony  the 
Prince  asked  his  sister  whom  she  had  mar- 
ried, and  she  answered,  "  I  am  married  to 
the  Emperor  of  the  Dragons.  My  husband 
is  himself  a  Dragon.  So,  brother,  it  would 
be  worth  your  while  to  hide,  for  my  husband 
often  says  he  would  cut  his  brothers-in-law 
in  small  bits  if  he  ever  laid  eyes  upon  them. 
Let  me  first  question  him ;  if  he  promises  to 
do  you  no  harm  I  will  tell  him  of  your 
arrival." 

So  said  and  so  done.  The  sister  concealed 
her  brother  and  his  horse.  The  evening  drew 
on.  The  Dragon's  supper  was  ready;  they 
were  awaiting  his  arrival,  when  at  last  he 
came.  When  he  flew  in  the  whole  earth  was 
bathed  in  blinding  light;  but  he  had  hardly 
entered  when  he  called  to  his  wife: 
328 


STEELPACHA 

"Wife,  I  smell  men's  bones.  Who  is 
here?  Tell  me  quick!  " 

"  No  one  is  here,"  she  answered. 

'  That  is  not  possible,"  said  he. 

Upon  this  the  wife  said,  "  I  want  to  ask 
you  a  question,  and  do  you  answer  me  truly 
and  honestly.  Would  you  do  any  harm 
to  my  brothers  if  they  happened  to  come 
here?" 

The  Dragon-emperor  answered,  "  I  would 
have  the  eldest  and  the  second  killed  and 
roasted,  but  I  would  do  nothing  to  the 
youngest." 

Upon  this  she  said,  "  My  youngest  broth- 
er, your  brother-in-law,  is  arrived." 

When  the  Dragon-emperor  heard  this  he 
cried,  "Out  with  him,  then!"  And  when 
the  sister  brought  her  brother  from  his 
hiding-place  the  Emperor  ran  to  meet  him 
and  showered  kisses  upon  him. 

'  Welcome  here,  brother-in-law!  " 

"  God  be  with  you,  sister's  husband !  " 
329 


STEELPACHA 

"  Where  were  you  hiding?  " 

"  Here  I  am!  "  And  he  told  him  the  ob- 
ject of  his  journey,  from  beginning  to  end. 

The  Dragon-emperor  said  to  him,  "  You 
are  running  the  greatest  risk,  God  help  you ! 
The  day  before  yesterday  Steelpacha  flew 
past  with  your  wife.  I  was  awaiting  him 
with  seven  thousand  dragons,  but  we  could 
not  overcome  him.  I  adjure  you,  let  that 
fiend  alone.  I  will  give  you  money  to  your 
heart's  desire;  just  go  quietly  home." 

But  the  Prince  would  not  hear  a  word  of 
this  advice,  and  emphatically  declared  that 
he  would  continue  his  journey  on  the  mor- 
row. When  the  Emperor  saw  that  he  could 
not  prevent  him,  nor  induce  him  to  turn 
back,  he  drew  a  feather  out  of  his  wing  and 
gave  it  to  his  brother-in-law,  with  these 
words: 

"  Give  good  heed  to  what  I  now  tell  you. 
Take  this  feather  of  mine,  and  if  you  come 
across  Steelpacha  and  find  yourself  in  great 
330 


STEELPACHA 

danger,  then  burn  my  feather;  that  very 
moment  I  will  come  to  your  aid  with  the 
whole  strength  of  my  army." 

The  Prince  concealed  the  feather  in  a  safe 
place  and  went  his  way.  He  travelled  on 
and  on  until  he  reached  a  second  great  city. 
Here  again,  as  he  was  going  through  the 
city,  a  woman  called  to  him  from  a  balcony : 

"  Ho,  there,  you  Prince,  dismount  from 
your  horse  and  come  into  the  court!" 

The  Prince  rode  into  the  court.  Behold, 
who  comes  to  meet  him?  It  is  his  second 
sister!  They  rush  into  each  other's  arms 
and  kiss  each  other  heartily.  Then  the  sis- 
ter led  her  brother  into  the  castle. 

When  she  had  put  the  horse  into  the  stable 
she  asked  the  object  of  his  journey,  and  he 
told  her  the  whole  story  of  his  adventures, 
finally  asking  her,  "  And  whom  have  you 
married,  dear  sister?  " 

She  answered,  "  I  am  married  to  the  Em- 
peror of  the  Falcons.  He  will  come  home 
831 


STEELPACHA 

to-night.  But  I  must  carefully  conceal  you, 
for  he  is  furious  against  my  brothers."  So 
saying,  she  concealed  the  Prince. 

In  a  little  while  the  Falcon-emperor  came 
home,  and  the  whole  city  quaked  with  the 
tumult  of  his  approach.  Supper  was  served 
at  once,  but  not  before  he  had  cried  to  his 
wife,  "  I  smell  men's  flesh!  " 

The  wife  answered,  "  What  are  you  think- 
ing of,  husband?" 

At  last,  after  talking  for  some  time  of  this 
thing  and  that,  she  asked  him,  "  Would  you 
do  any  harm  to  my  brothers  if  they  were 
to  come  here? " 

The  Emperor  said,  "  It  would  surely  go 
hard  with  the  eldest  and  the  second,  but  I 
would  do  nothing  to  the  youngest."  Then 
she  told  him  of  her  youngest  brother's  ar- 
rival. 

The  Falcon-emperor  commanded  his  wife 
to  bring  her  brother  before  him,  and  as  soon 
as  he  beheld  him  he  fell  upon  his  neck  and 
332 


STEELPACHA 

kissed  him.     "Welcome,   dear  brother-in- 
law!" 

"A  lucky  and  joyful  meeting,  dear  sis- 
ter's husband! "  answered  the  Prince;  upon 
which  they  sat  down  to  supper. 

After  supper  the  Emperor  asked  his 
brother-in-law  concerning  the  object  of  his 
journey,  and  the  Prince  replied  that  he  was 
seeking  Steelpacha,  and  told  him  all  his  ad- 
ventures. But  the  Emperor  began  to  coun- 
sel him. 

"  Give  up  your  journey,"  said  he.  "  Just 
let  me  tell  you  something  about  Steelpacha. 
That  very  day  on  which  he  stole  your  wife 
I  was  awaiting  him  with  five  thousand  fal- 
cons, and  waged  a  fearful  battle  with  him. 
Blood  flowed  knee-deep  around  us,  yet  we 
could  not  prevail  against  him.  And  how 
shall  you,  a  single  man,  overmaster  him?  So 
I  give  you  this  well-meant  advice:  Go  back 
home.  So  much  of  my  treasure  as  your 
heart  desires  is  yours;  take  it  and  go." 
333 


STEELPACHA 

But  the  Prince  answered,  "  Hearty  thanks 
for  your  offer,  but  go  back  with  my  task 
unperformed  I  will  not.  No,  never !  I  must 
yet  find  Steelpacha."  For  he  thought  to 
himself,  "  Why  should  I  not?  Have  I  not 
three  lives?  " 

When  the  Falcon-emperor  became  con- 
vinced that  he  could  not  move  him  from  his 
purpose  he  drew  a  feather  out  of  his  wing 
and  gave  it  to  him,  with  these  words,  "  Here, 
take  this  feather  of  mine,  and  if  you  come 
into  great  danger  strike  a  fire  and  burn  it. 
I  will  come  at  once  to  your  aid  with  all  my 
forces." 

So  the  Prince  took  the  feather  and  set 
forth  to  seek  Steelpacha. 

For  a  long  time  he  went  up  and  down 
through  the  wide  world,  until  at  last  he 
reached  a  third  city.  He  had  hardly  entered 
it  when  a  woman  called  to  him  from  a  bal- 
cony, "  Dismount  and  come  into  the  court!  " 

The  Prince  turned  his  horse  and  rode  into 
334 


STEELPACHA 

the  court.  Behold,  here  is  his  youngest  sis- 
ter! They  fall  into  each  other's  arms  and 
lavish  kisses  upon  each  other.  She  led  the 
horse  into  the  stable,  the  brother  into  the 
castle.  Then  the  Prince  asked,  "  Sister, 
whom  have  you  married?  " 

And  she  answered,  "  My  consort  is  the 
Emperor  of  the  Eagles;  it  is  he  whom  I 
have  married." 

When  the  Eagle-emperor  came  home  that 
night  his  wife  met  him  affectionately ;  but  he 
paid  no  attention  to  her  greeting,  but  asked 
her,  "What  man  has  come  into  my  castle? 
Tell  me  at  once!" 

She  answered,  "  There  is  no  one  here," 
and  they  sat  down  to  supper.  During  sup- 
per she  asked  him,  as  if  by  chance,  "  Would 
you  do  any  harm  to  my  brothers  if  they 
should  suddenly  arrive? " 

The  Emperor  answered,  "  The  eldest  and 
the  second  I  should  kill  without  hesitation, 
but  not  the  youngest.  On  the  contrary,  I 
335 


STEELPACHA 

would  hasten  to  his  aid  at  any  time,  as  far 
as  it  was  in  my  power." 

Then  she  said  to  the  Emperor,  "  My 
youngest  brother  is  come  to  pay  us  a  visit." 

The  Emperor  commanded  that  he  should 
be  presented  at  once,  went  to  meet  him,  and 
greeted  him  with,  "  Welcome,  dear  brother- 
in-law!" 

The  other  answered,  "  A  lucky  and  joy- 
ful meeting,  dear  sister's  husband!  " 

So  they  sat  down  to  the  table. 

After  supper  they  talked  of  one  thing 
and  another,  and  at  last  the  Prince  told  them 
that  he  was  seeking  for  Steelpacha.  When 
the  Eagle-emperor  heard  this  he  said  every- 
thing he  could  think  of  to  dissuade  him  from 
this  idea. 

"  Dear  brother-in-law,"  said  he,  "  leave 
that  fiend  alone  and  give  up  your  journey. 
Stay,  rather,  here  with  me;  you  shall  be 
made  happy  in  every  respect." 

But  the  Prince  paid  no  heed  to  his  words, 
336 


STEELPACHA 

and  as  soon  as  morning  dawned  he  made 
ready  and  set  off  to  seek  Steelpacha.  But 
before  he  went  away  the  Eagle-emperor, 
who  saw  that  he  could  not  turn  him  from 
his  purpose,  drew  forth  a  feather  from  his 
wing  and  said : 

'  Take  this  feather,  brother-in-law,  and  if 
ever  you  are  in  need  or  danger,  strike  a  fire 
and  burn  it.  I  will  come  at  once  with  my 
eagles  to  help  you." 

The  Prince  put  the  feather  in  his  pocket 
and  set  forth. 

Thus  he  roved  around  the  world  from 
city  to  city,  going  ever  farther  and  farther, 
till  at  last  one  day  he  discovered  his  wife  in 
a  cavern.  She  was  not  a  little  surprised  to 
see  him,  and  cried  out  to  him,  "  In  the  name 
of  Heaven,  husband,  how  came  you  here? " 

He  hastily  told  her  his  adventures,  and 
added,  "Wife,  my  wife!  Quick,  let  us 
flee!" 

But  she  hesitated.  c  Where  shall  we  go, 
387 


STEELPACHA 

since  Steelpacha  can  overtake  us  in  a  mo- 
ment? He  will  kill  you  on  the  spot,  and 
bring  me  back  here  again." 

But  the  Prince,  being  mindful  of  the  three 
lives  which  Steelpacha  had  given  him,  still 
coaxed  his  wife  to  flee,  and  they  set  out. 
Hardly  had  they  started  when  Steelpacha 
heard  of  it,  gave  rapid  chase,  and  overtook 
them. 

"  Oho,  little  Prince!  "  he  cried  out,  "  you 
would  steal  my  wife,  would  you?  " 

He  tore  her  away  from  the  Prince,  and 
continued,  "  This  time  I  give  you  your  life, 
for  I  have  not  forgotten  that  I  promised 
you  three  lives ;  but  go  now,  and  never  come 
back  again  after  her,  for  if  you  do  your  life 
is  at  stake." 

With  these  words  Steelpacha  took  the 
woman  away,  while  the  Prince  remained 
alone,  in  doubt  what  to  do  next.  At  last  he 
resolved  to  go  after  his  wife  again. 

When  he  arrived  near  the  cavern  he 
388 


STEELPACHA 

waited  for  his  opportunity  till  Steelpacha 
should  be  gone  away ;  and  once  more  he  fled, 
taking  his  wife  with  him. 

Steelpacha  soon  heard  of  it,  pursued  after 
them,  overtook  them,  fitted  an  arrow  to  his 
bow,  and  cried  out,  "  Would  you  rather  that 
I  kill  you  with  this  arrow,  or  shall  I  cut  you 
down  with  my  sword?  " 

The  Prince  began  to  beg  with  all  his 
might,  and  Steelpacha  said  to  him,  "  This 
second  time  I  give  you  your  life,  but  let  me 
tell  you  one  thing:  don't  you  try  again  to 
carry  away  this  woman,  for  I  will  not  again 
give  you  your  life,  but  will  kill  you  on  the 
spot  as  dead  as  a  mouse." 

With  these  words  he  seized  the  woman 
and  carried  her  away,  while  the  Prince  again 
remained  alone,  always  planning  how  to  res- 
cue his  wife.  Finally  he  said  to  himself, 
"  After  all,  why  should  I  be  afraid?  I  still 
have  two  lives — that  one  which  he  gave  me 
and  the  one  I  had  before." 
339 


STEELPACHA 

So  he  resolved  to  go  back  to  his  wife  the 
next  day  when  Steelpacha  was  absent. 

"Come,"  he  said  to  her,  "let  us  flee!" 
She  objected  that  it  was  useless  to  flee,  since 
they  would  be  at  once  overtaken ;  but  he  con- 
strained her  to  go  with  him. 

But  very  soon  Steelpacha  overtook  them, 
and  cried  out  to  the  Prince,  "  Wait,  just 
wait!  I  will  never  forgive  you  this!  "  The 
Prince  was  terrified  and  began  to  beg  for 
mercy,  but  Steelpacha  silenced  him. 

'  You  remember  that  I  gave  you  three 
lives?  All  right;  now  I  give  you  the  third, 
and  you  have  nothing  more  to  expect  from 
me.  So  go  home  in  peace,  and  beware  of 
hazarding  the  life  which  God  lent  you." 

When  the  Prince  saw  that  he  was  power- 
less against  the  might  of  Steelpacha  he 
turned  back  homeward  with  a  heavy  heart. 
Suddenly  he  remembered  what  his  brothers- 
in-law  had  said  to  him  when  they  gave  him 
the  feathers,  and  he  said  to  himself,  "  Come 
340 


STEELPACHA 

what  come  may,  I  will  go  once  more  to 
rescue  my  wife,  and  in  case  of  need  I  will 
burn  the  feathers  and  call  my  brothers-in- 
law  to  my  assistance." 

So  said  and  so  done. 

He  went  back  to  the  cavern  and  saw 
his  wife  in  Steelpacha's  arms.  He  waited 
around  till  the  latter  had  gone  away,  and 
then  showed  himself  to  his  wife.  She  was 
not  a  little  frightened,  and  cried  out  in  ter- 
ror, "In  the  name  of  Heaven!  Is  life  so 
hateful  that  you  come  back  again  for  me? " 

He  calmed  her  and  told  her  that  his 
brothers-in-law  had  promised  to  help  him  in 
utmost  need.  "  And  therefore,"  said  he,  "  I 
am  come  for  you  once  more ;  make  ready  to 
flee." 

She  did  so,  and  they  hastened  away;  but 
Steelpacha  soon  got  news  of  their  flight,  and 
cried  to  them  from  afar,  "  Just  wait,  little 
Prince;  you  haven't  escaped  me  yet! " 

But  as  soon  as  the  Prince  saw  Steelpacha 
341 


STEELPACHA 

he  drew  the  three  feathers  and  his  tinder-box 
out  of  his  pocket,  struck  a  light,  and  kindled 
the  feathers  one  by  one.  But  while  they 
were  kindling  Steelpacha  overtook  him, 
drew  his  sword,  and  cleft  the  Prince  in  half. 

That  very  moment  what  a  prodigy 
occurred!  There  came  flying  the  Dragon- 
emperor  with  his  dragons,  the  Falcon-em- 
peror with  his  falcons,  and  the  Eagle- 
emperor  with  all  his  eagles,  and  waged  battle 
with  Steelpacha.  Blood  flowed  in  streams, 
but  fortune  favored  Steelpacha,  and  he 
made  off  safely,  carrying  his  prize,  the  Prin- 
cess, with  him. 

The  three  emperors  now  took  counsel  over 
their  brother-in-law's  body,  and  decided  to 
recall  him  to  life.  So  they  summoned  three 
of  the  swiftest  dragons  and  asked  which  one 
of  them  could  most  speedily  bring  some  wa- 
ter from  the  river  Jordan.  The  first  one 
said,  "  I  can  do  it  within  half  an  hour  " ;  the 
second  said,  "  I  can  do  it  in  a  quarter  of  an 
342 


STEELPACHA 

hour  " ;  the  third  said,  "  I  will  have  it  here 
in  nine  minutes."  The  emperors  said  to  this 
one,  "  Then  set  out,  Dragon,  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible." 

The  Dragon  put  forth  all  his  impetuous 
strength,  and  truly  within  nine  minutes  he 
brought  back  the  water  from  the  Jordan. 
The  emperors  took  the  water,  poured  it  over 
the  two  portions  of  the  Prince's  body,  and 
scarcely  had  the  water  touched  them  when 
the  young  man  sprang  upon  his  feet,  safe 
and  sound,  as  if  nothing  had  happened  to 
him. 

The  emperors  then  counselled  him,  "  Now 
go  back  home,  since  you  have  been  restored 
to  life!" 

But  the  Prince  answered  that  he  must 
once  more  try  his  luck,  and,  by  one  means 
or  another,  free  his  wife  from  the  clutches 
of  that  fiend.  His  imperial  brothers-in-law 
remonstrated: 

"  Do  give  it  up!  You  will  surely  perish 
343 


STEELPACHA 

this  time,  for  you  have  no  life  at  command 
except  the  one  God  lent  you !  " 

But  for  all  answer  the  Prince  remained 
dumb. 

Then  the  emperors  said,  "All  right;  if 
you  are  bent  upon  trying  again,  come  what 
come  may,  at  least  don't  attempt  to  get 
your  wife  away  by  flight,  but  beg  her  to 
wheedle  Steelpacha  into  telling  her  where- 
in his  strength  lies.  Then  bring  us  word, 
that  we  may  help  you  to  get  the  best  of 
him." 

So  the  Prince  stole  secretly  to  his  wife  and 
told  her  how  she  should  coax  Steelpacha  to 
tell  her  the  secret  of  his  strength.  Then  he 
betook  himself  to  some  place  of  safety. 

When  Steelpacha  came  home  the  Princess 
beset  him  with  questions.  "  In  Heaven's 
name,  do  tell  me  wherein  your  strength 
lies!" 

Steelpacha  answered,  "  My  pretty  wife, 
my  strength  lies  in  my  sword." 
344 


STEELPACHA 

Then  the  Princess  prayed  to  the  sword  as 
if  to  God.  At  sight  of  this  Steelpacha  burst 
into  a  mocking  laugh  and  said  to  her,  "  Oh, 
you  simple  woman!  my  strength  lies  not  in 
my  sword  but  in  my  arrow." 

Therefore  she  fell  upon  her  knees  before 
the  arrow  and  began  to  pray  to  it.  Then 
Steelpacha  said,  "  My  wife,  some  one  must 
have  well  taught  you  how  to  coax  from  me 
the  secret  of  my  strength.  If  your  husband 
were  alive  I  should  say  it  was  he  who  had 
taught  you." 

But  she  swore  by  body  and  soul  that  no 
one  had  taught  her,  no  one  had  been  there. 

After  several  days  her  husband  came 
again,  and  she  told  him  that  thus  far  it  had 
been  impossible  to  learn  from  Steelpacha 
wherein  his  strength  lay.  But  the  Prince  an- 
swered, "  Try  again,"  and  went  away. 

When  Steelpacha  came  home  she  asked 
him  anew  wherein  his  strength  lay.  Upon 
which  he  answered  her,  "  Since  I  see  that 
845 


STEELPACHA 

you  have  a  high  respect  for  my  strength,  I 
will  confess  the  truth  about  it." 

Then  he  told  her:  "  Far  from  here  is  a 
mountain-peak.  On  this  mountain-peak 
lives  a  Fox.  The  Fox  has  a  heart  in  which  a 
bird  is  concealed ;  this  bird  holds  my  strength. 
But  that  Fox  is  very  hard  to  catch,  for  he 
has  many  transformations." 

The  next  day,  when  Steelpacha  was  away 
from  home,  the  Prince  came  again  to  his 
wife  to  learn  what  he  had  told  her.  She  re- 
peated everything  carefully,  and  the  Prince 
went  straight  away  to  his  brothers-in-law 
with  the  much-longed-for  news.  They  re- 
ceived it  with  joy,  and  at  once  set  out 
with  the  Prince  to  go  to  that  mountain- 
peak. 

Arrived  there,  they  set  the  eagles  upon  the 
Fox,  which  immediately  took  refuge  in  a 
lake  and  there  changed  himself  into  a  gull 
with  six  wings.  But  the  falcons  gave  battle 
to  the  gull  and  drove  him  thence.  He  flew 
346 


STEELPACHA 

high  amid  the  clouds,  the  falcons  ever  fol- 
lowing. In  a  trice  the  gull  changed  himself 
into  a  fox  again  and  tried  to  escape  into  the 
earth;  but,  falling  into  the  power  of  the 
eagles  and  all  the  rest  of  the  mighty  host,  he 
was  surrounded  and  taken  prisoner. 

Then  the  emperors  commanded  that  the 
Fox  should  be  cut  open  and  his  heart  taken 
out.  A  fire  was  kindled,  the  heart  cut  open, 
the  bird  taken  out  and  cast  into  the  flames. 
As  soon  as  the  bird  was  burned  Steelpacha 
vanished  forever. 

So  the  Prince  took  his  wife  and  went  hap- 
pily home. 

c  That  is  one  of  your  very  best  stories," 
said  the  starosta.  "  How  it  does  bring  back 
old  times!  While  I  was  listening  I  could 
hardly  believe  that  this  big  man  here  by 
the  stove  is  I.  It  seemed  rather  as  if  I  must 
be  the  little  boy  yonder." 

"  Did  grandmother  tell  these  same  stories 
34T 


STEELPACHA 

to  you  when  you  were  little,  father?  "  asked 
the  little  boy. 

"  Many  and  many  a  time.  And  I'll  war- 
rant she  has  as  many  more  to  tell  you  as 
those  you  have  heard  already.  But  it  is  late, 
and  we  have  not  had  much  sleep  these  last 
few  nights.  So  every  one  to  bed,  and  don't 
forget  to  thank  God  for  a  happy  wedding 
and  a  good  son  and  brother-in-law." 


U.C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


273357 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


